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Lake Powell Fish Report

Have you made a recent fishing trip to Lake Powell?
If you have, please let us know how you did.  E-mail your fishing report to Wayne Gustaveson (wayne@wayneswords.com).  Please include who you are and where you're from, dates fished, location, tackle used, species and number of fish caught and any other information you would like to pass on to other anglers.

Visit the Anglers Corner - Fishing reports from Lake Powell by anglers for anglers.

If you have a question try posting on WAYNESWORDS FORUMS.

Reports from the previous week can be seen by clicking on Archived Fish reports

ARCHIVED FISH REPORTS

July 1, 2009
Lake Elevation: 3640
Water Temp: 77- 82 F

Mr and Mrs Mason Williams,  fishing mid Lake Powell

When chasing stripers on the surface during busy traffic times it will be most productive to concentrate fishing effort in the early morning and late evening time slots. Boils will be seen all day long but catching will be much better during the quieter times.

Best fishing locations will be in quieter lake areas like Good Hope Bay to Hite, the Escalante and San Juan Arms and main channel between those canyons. The best recent report comes from the main channel near Buoy 67. But if the opportunity arises it is well worth the effort to fish near the busy marinas. Start looking in the main channel areas right in the busy travel lanes. In the southern lake, cruise around Antelope Island between Wahweap and Antelope Point Marinas watching for boils all the way.

Boil abundance varies with the day and location but the common theme is that boils are steady and repeatable. While most boils are small with perhaps 25 fish working together, there are some boils each day where over a hundred fish group up to eat shad from the surface.

Use your favorite confidence lure, as any lure will work that is presented perfectly. Cast the lure over and slightly beyond the lead fish in the fast moving school. Then quickly swim the lure along the surface or in the upper 2 feet of water and through the school. Schooling stripers spend their lives getting to the bait before the next fish. They will react quickly to a lure placed in the right spot. The strike zone is 2-4 feet in front of the lead fish.

Bass fishing is somewhat slower than it has been but still very good for surface fishing early and late - particularly around striper boils. Largemouth are in the newly submerged green brush and smallmouth are on the rocky points and drop-offs. Walleye are caught occasionally while fishing grubs along the bottom for bass or trolling the submerged tree tops. Catfish are very active at night and easy to catch. Sunfish are in the trees and easy prey for a kid of any age with a small hook and live worm.

Life and fishing are great- Enjoy the week at Lake Powell.

June 24, 2009
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3638
Water Temp: 72- 75F

Tight 'Slurp' of stripers feeding on larval shad.

Here is a closer look at techniques. The best lures are those that cast great distances with accuracy. We had good success with large rattletraps because many schools were headed down as the boat got in range. 'Traps' dive and could be effectively presented to fleeing fish.

The best lure for me was the full size Jumpin' Minnow. It is heavier and therefore casts further than anything but a heavy spoon. Fish are feeding on top so the surface lure was just right. You should fish with your best "confidence" lure. If a lure has been good for you in the past it will be good now.

Still it is imperative that the lure is cast in front and beyond the lead fish. As the lure hits water quickly work it into the racing striper school. Stripers are looking toward the surface. They swim fast enough to beat their school mate to the next shad. A larger 'fish' (lure) will be eaten if it is in just the right spot. Casting into or behind a moving school is fruitless. Perfect placement results in a hook up with a 20-25 inch striper. Anything less is ignored.

Boat handling is key. Fish in boils are vulnerable for 5-30 seconds. Move quickly into range trying to parallel direction of fish travel. I shut off the motor when in range and grab the rod while the boat is slowing to a stop. Sometimes the school will stay on top long enough to put one cast into the school. More likely the school will sound and then resurface. The most effective cast is to the resurfacing school. Hopefully, fish come up in range and the first cast goes beyond the lead fish. Spend some time watching the school and make one good cast instead of three errant ones. I only stay with a pod of stripers long enough to see them resurface three times. After that they are wary and I move to find a fresh school.

Boils cover the length of Lake Powell and are continuous from daylight to dark when the water is calm. Wind may put them down for an hour but they come right back up as soon as the lake calms. Boils are strong from Wahweap to San Juan and Escalante. Reports are less from Rincon to Good Hope but I suspect that is lack of reports and not lack of striper boils. My crew reports strong boils in Good Hope this morning. Water is clearing and fishing out of Hite is effective once more.

If the craziness of chasing fish does not appeal then look for a striper boil near shore. Go to that spot and cast a surface walking bait or popper into the submerged trees and have fun with bass on topwater lures.

June 16, 2009
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3636
Water Temp: 70- 74F

OK! I am excited!

Kip Bennett and Grandpa.

Stripers have been quiet most of the year because they came out of winter in good shape making them finicky eaters. Then the water warmed and they forgot about food as they concentrated on spawning. Now with spawning complete the population is lean and hungry. Fish look thinner now with the ovaries evacuated. Striper fillets are still prime and fish are healthy. All they need now is food and lots of it!

Shad have spawned and larvae are in rich abundance in the open bays and channels, where predator and prey are doing daily battle. Here is the scene.

Shad regroup in schools at first light. Stripers see the gathering, surround the school and feed quickly by trapping shad on the surface. Since shad larvae are tiny, a quick feeding burst often fragments the shad school making them hard to see and follow. Stripers then go deep, regroup and search for the next shad pod. The school is then up and down at every feeding opportunity.

Today, as we ran from Wahweap to Rock Creek, about 25 quick boils were seen. More boils were seen in Padre Bay but there was surface activity all the way up and back. The first fish was caught at 8 AM and the last one at 11:30 AM. We caught 10 stripers so there was more chasing than catching. Best success was found when boils were located, boat properly positioned and then the fish surfaced in range for a second time. Casting to the tail end of fleeing fish is not productive, but if a school resurfaces in range stripers are caught. Regardless, boil junkies have the adrenaline surge going for hours when that much surface activity ensues.

There was no best lure. The catch was made when a lure was placed right in front of the first fish coming to the surface to feed. We caught them on full size topwater lures, shallow running rattle traps, and deep diving Rapalas. It took many casts to get the lure and fish together but it was certainly satisfying when it happened. School stripers were all 3 pound clones. Expect good striper surface action from Wahweap to San Juan and beyond to Bullfrog. The best spot on the lake is at the mouth of the San Juan.

Visibility in the upper lake is improving. Runoff has declined to 60,000 acre feet per day. Launching at Hite and fishing downstream to Good Hope is enjoyable once again with less driftwood and clearer water. Water temperature is still lagging due to snow melt runoff so fishing downstream from Bullfrog is still a better bet.

Bass fishing remains good on main channel rockslides with plastic baits. Walleye are still caught occasionally while fishing for bass. Sunfish and catfish are at a peak in activity level as both species are near spawning. Fishing is now improving each day and will continue to improve as water warms and lake level stabilizes. It is a great time to plan another Lake Powell fishing trip.
 

June 10, 2009
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3633
Water Temp: 70- 74F

Austin Macosky caught this striper on bait in Navajo Canyon.

Best fishing is for smallmouth along the main channel and main canyon areas. Steep slick rock and cliff face areas seem to hold more agreeable fish than other spots. Look for a bit of broken rock, a ledge or terrace that provides just a tiny bit of cover in the vast expanse of clean slick rock. Find a bush in a crack or fracture of the slick rock and a largemouth may lurk there as well. Bass are looking for crayfish and are willing to hit plastic near bottom in the 20-30 foot range. Our tendency is to fish the shoreline from a boat holding about a cast or two off shore. The better thing to do now is put the boat in the same location but drop the lure straight to the bottom instead of casting toward shore. Once the lure contacts bottom let it drift slowly along the 25 foot contour. Gently ease the bait along the bottom to encounter bass and walleye.

Early in the morning shad are spawning further back in the canyons and coves on the surface around brush and driftwood. Shallow running crankbaits and top water lures work well at fist light before the sun hits the water. The extended spring weather means that a variety of species are working on vulnerable shad. It is possible to catch bass, stripers, walleye, catfish and sunfish near the site of any spawning shad school.

Shad spawning activity subsides by 8 AM and game fish move to their daily holding pattern. Bass go deep, stripers cruise the shoreline along that same 25 foot contour. Trolling the 25 foot flats is effective but not fast fishing. Rattle trap baits are effective for both bass and stripers. Shallow running crankbaits, like glass shad raps and lucky craft bevy shad also work well. It seems to me that shorter baits (3 inches) are more effective than longer ones (Thundersticks). Look out for tree tops that grab trolling lures but get close enough to brush to attract fish interest. A lure that runs right over the brushy tree tops is a great choice.

While doing all this, keep an eye out for random striper boils. I get new reports every day of random boils occurring mid morning over the expanse of the lake. Boils are becoming more visible and staying up longer. Unfortunately, they are not yet predictable or repeatable occurrences. But top water time is getting closer. Expect stripers to become catchable in boils as the lake stabilizes and water temperature warms. Shad will grow faster in warmer waters and hasten the boil response. Until then enjoy bass fishing and trolling in the cool springtime luxury of Lake Powell.
 

June 2, 2009
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3630
Water Temp: 70- 75F

Sue Rudie with striper trolled up near Bullfrog in the rain.

Smallmouth fishing is steady on main channel and main canyon rocks and points. Main lake areas are better fishing than the backs of canyons where new brush has been covered. Target small rock slides on slick rock shorelines for a predictable catch of bass.

Walleye are still being caught trolling and casting in the northern half of the lake. Some walleye are caught in the southern lake but numbers are much higher in the north. Walleye havce reverted to feeding mostly during low light periods at the ends of the day. During daylight hours fish muddy water and shade pockets on the main channel for best results.

Striped bass are at best - unpredictable. The spawn is almost complete. Schools are forming and searching for food. When anglers and schools come together results are immediate with many stripers caught in a short time. One day a large boil will be seen in a random location only to be absent the next. A school of fish will be enticed with bait along a deep canyon wall in the middle of the day but will be somewhere else the next.

The best striper fishing strategy is to move from one good spot to the next trying to intersect a moving school. Try bait on steep canyon walls. If no fish are found move often and try again. Then troll in shallow water. Keep rotating techniques and locations hoping to locate an agreeable school. Some days no stripers are caught but then 20-40 stripers can be placed in the cooler in short order. Always have a top water lure tied on and placed in an accessible spot ready for action when the big boils pops up right in front of the boat.

If I had to choose a spot for the best fishing trip possible it would be the lake midsection from the mouth of the San Juan to Escalante. Smallmouth abound in the breaks and cracks lining the steep main channel rocks. Walleye favor the rocky points. Striped bass are schooled at the mouth of the San Juan near Jacks Arch. They boil occasionally but are accessible to trollers working the brushy shoreline edges.

Catfish are getting more active now as temperature is consistently in the 70s. Fishing is more challenging now than it was in the spring. Improvement will come as lake level stabilizes, surface water warms to the summer temperatures and fish begin to feed consistently on the surface.
 

May 26, 2009
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3625
Water Temp: 68 - 74 F

Fishing for Largemouth bass has been the best seen in decades so far this Spring.

Flat shoreline is not a productive spot to fish now due to constantly rising water. Look instead for steep structure: cracks in cliff walls, deep water ends of long points, islands in open water and other habitat that has been submerged longer than a week. Fish continue to use habitat along the original shoreline before the lake begin to rise. Expect to find shore bound fish like bass and walleye in at least 15 feet of water. Only the smallest fish will be venturing into newly covered terrain.

One effective pattern for bass fishing now is to find isolated rock slides on the steep main channel. A small slide only 20 feet wide is better than a huge slide that may be over 200 yards long. A small slide on a steep slick rock shoreline almost guarantees that fish can be caught on the thin line of rocks. I find white rocks hold more fish than red rocks in the lower lake. I can't explain that but offer it as a means to locate more fish in these tough conditions.

Walleye are being caught regularly now. Numbers harvested increases with distance traveled uplake. Rainbow to Good Hope are the best walleye spots right now.

Striped bass are in transition. Some fish have spawned, some are still waiting. The bigger news is that stripers are finding schools of spawning adult shad. Scattered boils are being reported from Last Chance to San Juan. The boils are really quick and not really fishable yet. A better strategy is to troll or cast or vertically jig with spoons in the vicinity of the surface activity. Jerk baits are working in the shallows to catch a few single stripers. The best report came from the mouth of the San Juan at Jacks Arch. Trolling a heavy white bucktail jig accounted for consistent catches of stripers over the past week. Unfortunately bait fishing is still spotty and not as productive as seen in past years.

The most productive fishing approach now is casting surface lures around brush in morning and evening twilight.

Catfish have come alive now with warm water. The can be caught with ease along main channel beaches in the evening with hotdogs, chicken liver or anchovies.

May 19, 2009
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3619
Water Temp: 68 - 73 F

Russ Muir 8.5 pound striper - Anchovies at Moki Wall.

Cautions aside, the good news is that fish can still be caught. Bass fishing is excellent for 1-2 pound smallmouth bass. An occasionally largemouth or crappie is still caught in the brush. Best bushes are those just recently covered by water as they were home to bass before the lake rose so fast. With the backs of canyons changing daily, a better strategy is to fish main channel cliffs, cracks and cuts. The deep water ends of rocky points allow one to find bass by gradually working deeper along the point until fish are caught. Once the active fish depth zone is known, concentrate efforts on that specific depth for best success.

Striped bass are being caught more often but still only in modest numbers. Some anglers are finding stripers in the traditional main channel spots including the dam, power plant intake, Navajo Canyon and Moki Wall. It is necessary to fish much deeper than in past years. Stripers are holding at 50-80 feet in the main channel, so let the bait go deep and chum often to attract attention and get fish to rise in the water column.

More consistent action is found trolling in 25 feet of water. That pattern has been in place all spring and continues to produce the majority of the striper harvest. Some good trolling locations include backs of major canyons where bottom depth is 15-25 feet. Try Warm Creek, Navajo, Gunsight, Last Chance, Rock Creek, Jacks Arch, Escalante, Lake Canyon, Bullfrog, Halls Creek, and Red Canyon. Troll over the shallow water between the Halls Ferry Ramp and houseboat buoy field. Again catching 10 stripers a day is good and 20 or more is perfection.

One very bright spot is the potential walleye catch this week. Rising water causes bank sloughing and muddy coves. Warm temperatures energize walleye to their peak feeding response of the year. Cast night crawlers to coves or troll muddy main channel shoreline with Wally Diver lures to target hungry walleye.

Catfish have come alive now with warm water. The can be caught with ease along main channel beaches in the evening with hotdogs, chicken liver or anchovies.

Bluegill are larger than normal. These forgotten fish will provide excellent fishing and table fare for those willing to use live worms in the brush.

May 12, 2009
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3615
Water Temp: 61 - 73 F

Jack "Hotwheels" Herrin, Rich Hunton and sons Tim and Brandon -

Of course rising water affects fishing success. Bass made nests when the water level was 10 feet lower than today. That nest may now be as much as 100 yards from the new shoreline established by last nights rising water. To avoid false starts do not fish shallow flats that were dry desert soil the previous day. Fish are not there yet. Instead look for a ravine with steep sides and brush where fish can move vertically with rising water and changing temperatures.

Water cools over night back to the base temperature which has now risen to 60 degrees. Warm days heat water to over 70 degrees in protected coves and bays. While fishing is good some mornings, bass still feel the warming and react accordingly. Fishing success is often better in afternoon.

Bass are in brush. Look for twigs and branches just barely sticking out of water. These submerged trees mark the old shoreline where bass can be found. The most productive lures now are spinner baits and buzz baits that can be effectively fished over the brush forest and still attract attention. Fishing for both species of bass is excellent. Crappie fishing remains spotty but is great in the right spots.

Striped bass habits are changing as spawning nears. About the only time stripers are not actively chasing food is during spawning. These eating machines will eat at any opportunity but they are thinking more about spawning and less about shad. Stripers look for a quick meal at dusk and dawn but then spend the day wondering if this days warming will trigger spawning that night. This subtle attitude change has provided the opportunity for bait anglers to be more successful than trollers. Bait fishing is not yet at the caliber seen in most years but some fish are now being caught on anchovies at the dam, main channel and in the backs of canyons. It is worth the effort to fish bait while actively chumming for half an hour in selected locations. Stripers have recently been caught on bait at the dam, Navajo and Antelope Canyons. Better bait fishing is being reported in the backs of the major canyons where muddy water shades the bottom. Use the graph to find a school in 20-45 feet of water and then anchor and use bait. The bite will be spotty but catches of 10-30 fish have been reported. Night fishing also offers a good possibility of success for stripers that are very active during this time period due to imminent spawning potential.

Crappie success is slowing but catfish are getting more aggressive with warmer water.

May 5, 2009
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3612
Water Temp: 60- 70 F

Gary Sotelo

All fish are big and healthy. Crappie size rivals the glory days when 3 pound fish were common. In fact, a 3 pound 5 ounce crappie was caught in the Escalante Arm last week. That fish will likely be the new Utah State Record crappie. It is 3 ounces heavier than the current record crappie taken at Quail Creek, in UT.

This warming trend will activate walleye. The month of May is traditionally the best time to catch walleye and this year will be no different. Look for walleye in muddy water along windy shorelines. They move into coves to feed but need access to deep water as an escape feature. Fish along the shallow edges of the main channel to maximize walleye success. Pre dawn light and warm evenings are the best times to catch walleye. The most productive technique seems to be trolling across rocky points with a lure that bumps bottom at 12 feet. Concentrate on the 12-foot contour with a Wally Diver in black and white. The standard worm harness and bottom bouncer is always a good bet to take walleye

Striper fishing is challenging as they have moved shallower in the backs of canyons. Best catches now have come on lures trolled at about 10 feet. My best lure this week has been the Lucky Craft Pointer 128 in ghost color. Trolling still works best as schools are still moving and hard to stay over.

Expect stripers to become more active at night as the spawn gets closer. A rapid temperature spike on a hot calm day will trigger spawning which occurs at night in shallow water. Locate a school of males holding near long prominent points in the evening. Then return to that location at night to see if the big females have moved into the area to spawn. It is now time to catch that 30-pound plus striper for this year.

April 28, 2009
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3610                                            BASS SPAWNING CONTINUES!
Water Temp: 54-68 F

Shane Spravzoff

The next warming trend rejuvenates the male, causing a return to the nest and restarts the process all over again. He finds a new female, they lay and fertilize new eggs on top of the fry nestled under the rocks and he guards the nest again where he remains as long as water stays warm. It is possible to find 3 different ages of eggs and fry on a nest at any given time after the initial spawn. Likewise all female bass have an ovary full of eggs as they spawn only a few eggs at a time. Bass never completely evacuate the ovary so some eggs remain in the ovary year round.

The big winds just past, lowered surface temperature to 54. Temperature jumped back to 65 by late afternoon yesterday when winds were calm. Bass responded to the increase by moving back up to nests sites. That movement from deep to shallow water obviously increases fishing success as fish activity increases with warming.

Knowing these behavioral factors allows one to employ effective fishing techniques. If water temperature is in the low 50s then fish deep and slow for sluggish bass. If temperature is in the mid 60s then fish shallow for active bass. Right now bulky plastic baits with much surface area sink slowly and tantalize shallow bass. Try hula grubs, Flappin' Hogs, and other skirted and double tail baits in greens and browns for good success for large and smallmouth bass.

Bass and crappie fishing success is excellent lake wide with the exception of the northern lake above Good Hope Bay where runoff is coloring the water and reducing the temperature. The San Juan may be the very best with incredible numbers of smallmouth being caught.

Striped bass are providing very little action to those accustomed to fishing in the channel with bait. Yesterday only 5 stripers were caught at the dam on anchovies. However, catches of 10-30 fish were reported from the backs of the canyons by those trolling deep diving crank baits. Stripers are still holding in the main canyons at a depth of 25 feet. Troll the flood plain in the back of the canyon with Thundersticks, husky jerks, Rapala deep divers and other baits that run deeper than 14 feet to find consistent success. Early morning and late evening seems best for striper fishing with a lull at mid day.

The plan for this week is to troll for stripers early. I am finding stripers holding in most canyons that have been consistent producers over the years. If stripers were caught last year or two years ago in a canyon, try that spot again this spring but troll the area for best success.

Then when temperatures rise, move to shallow water and fish for bass and crappie. Fishing success is phenomenal now using this multi species approach.

Jet Berry and BASS

Here is some bass spawning biology.  

A quick temperature rise from 57 to 64 is the trigger that makes it all happen. Males have longingly looked at potential nest sites all month but needed the temperature trigger before proceeding. This week bass are moving onto shallow flats. They prefer to start the nest at a water depth of 18-36 inches. The rising lake will make that nest progressively deeper but the nest starts out fairly shallow. Largemouth will nest at the base of a bush. Smallmouth will nest on plain rock. Crappie will nest in thick brush. All nests are made of small rocks that the male has cleaned by sweeping away sediment with its tail. Big males get first choice of the prime spots. Small males make due with what is left. When the nest is fanned and shaped, males leave the nest looking for a willing female. Females wait in deeper water just over the edge of the spawning flat or terrace. Spawning hormones are triggered by a quick temperature spike. Male advances that have previously been ignored are now accepted as the female returns to the nest site to spawn. The final courtship gesture is a quick jab in the side as the male strikes the female with its snout to start the eggs flowing so they can be fertilized. Spawning takes an hour or two. Sometimes more than one female is courted simultaneously. There is never more than one male.

Fertilized eggs are adhesive and stick to the rocks. With eggs on the nest, male bass set up camp and guard the nest ferociously. The day after spawning he chases everything, fish, bug, lure or shadow. It doesn't matter what it is. He chases it every time, no matter how close or how big.

On the second day he closes the circle a bit and chases only perceived threats that come within 10 feet. On the third day he chases only those things that actually threaten the nest. On the fourth day he watches and reacts only to real threats to the safety of the young.

Eggs hatch in 3-7 days depending on temperature. They swim about 3-5 days after hatching. Males guard swimming fry for a day or two. When tired of that he leaves them and returns to the nest site to start it all over again. That second nesting usually corresponds to warming after a slight cool down.

At Lake Powell the event is just starting. Most males will be spawning by Wednesday and be super aggressive on Thursday and Friday with moderate aggression continuing through the weekend.

This week will be particularly memorable because water in the main lake is crystal clear and the nests are shallow. All nests will be visible unit the lake starts to raise rapidly, the wind blows or water gets murky.  

Fishing this week will be superb. Good fishing will continue from now until the end of May. Striper and walleye fishing will be better in May. This week bass and crappie are in the forefront.

April 15, 2009
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3609
Water Temp: 53-60 F

Deepened Castle Rock Cut is flooded.

With water temperatures not changing much all month, fishing techniques have remained constant. Stripers are not running to the main channel in search of current but staying in the backs of canyons where shad live. Do not expect the normal fast fishing for stripers along the buoy line guarding the dam this month. To catch stripers now, the strategy is to cover as much water as possible searching for the moving school. Trolling is the best way to do that. Start looking in the back of the canyon where water depth is 25 feet or along flats and shelves of the same depth. As water warms into the 60s this pattern will change slightly but for now trolling is best. Watch the graph closely while using deep diving lures on flat line or shad lures with down riggers or leaded line. Follow the 25-foot contour for best success.

The shortcut from Wahweap to Warm Creek opens up the possibility of finding more stripers close to the Wahweap ramps. There have been a few willing stripers near Lone Rock that would respond to deep trolled lures in 15-35 feet of water. Warm Creek has much more fish habitat than upper Wahweap Bay. Now it will be just as close to go to Warm Creek or further uplake to find striper schools. That will help us all locate more fish as reports start to come in from Warm Creek.

Further uplake, Lake Canyon, Halls Creek, and Bullfrog Bay are good but Red Canyon to Hite is much better. That is still the place to be for fishing this week. The mudline is not moving downstream yet and drift wood is not much of a problem. Launching at Hite is good at the primitive ramp.

I am about a week early with this news. Bass will respond to warming that will finally begin this weekend. It is very possible that spawning will begin 7-10 days from the date of this report. Nesting and increased aggression will happen for sure. Many quality bass have already been caught this spring. Those fish have proved to be larger and fatter than normal. This year will be memorable as many will catch the biggest bass of their fishing career. Largemouth exceeding 6 pounds and smallmouth larger than 4 pounds have already been caught. Many more big bass will be taken this spring during the spawn.

Crappie are moving into the trees and will spawn during the same time frame as bass. Average size of all fish, including crappie is bigger than usual this year. Look for the weather to improve this weekend and for fishing to go ballistic next week. Can't wait!
 

April 7, 2009
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3610
Water Temp: 51-58 F

Robert Bennett with cold weather smallmouth bass.

Bass are thinking about spawning. All the triggers, except temperature, are in place. As soon as warming occurs nest construction begins, activity levels increase and fishing success sky rockets.

Bass are catchable now. Largemouth are in thick, shallow brush thickets basking in afternoon sun. Smallmouth are on rocky structure waiting for a few more degrees of warmth. A good strategy is to work a rattletrap or suspending jerk bait around brush in slots and cuts, and in shallow rock structure. That may work fine. If not, then go deep with soft plastic tubes, bulky grubs, and slow sinking Senkos that can be fished slowly on or near bottom. Let the bait rest with occasional twitches rather than using a steady retrieve. The key to catching fish with this method is to keep the line tight so the light touch of a bass tongue can be detected.

March 31, 2009
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3610
Water Temp: 51-58 F

Jade Berry - Age 4

Another approach is to fish rocky structure for smallmouth. As soon as afternoon warming pushes temperatures toward 60 bass activity will increase. Then the normal techniques using plastic grubs along the bottom and shallow running crankbaits will work. It is still good to bump rocky bottom or brush occasionally to attract fish interest. Smallmouth bass will react as they have in other years. These bass will provide anglers with a sense of familiarity and success in this year when old habits and techniques often fail.

That is not the same with striped bass. Anglers that have gone to the main channel expecting to find stripers lined up to take anchovy bait near the dam have been disappointed. Usually stripers are hungry in April. This spring they have adequate shad to eat so they stay near the food source. Stripers are in the backs of canyons and will remain there. Successful anglers will be forced to search the canyons for moving schools. Trolling allows much water to be covered and may be the best technique. Striper schools seen on the graph deserve to have a spoon dropped on them. When one fish is hooked trolling or spooning the school follows the hooked comrade. Try to keep one fished hooked or have a lure working near the school at all times. When a fish is netted with no lure in sight the school slips away.

The best bet for catching stripers this week is to fish the backs of canyons in the northern lake with deep diving lures like Thundersticks. Runoff is picking up which muddies the main channel but the backs of canyons from Good Hope to Hite are the place to be this week.

March 24, 2009
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3610
Water Temp: 51-58 F

Tonja Wright with largemouth bass caught on white Senko

Today water temperature was 51 in the morning following yesterday's strong wind. That means catching is not easy but still possible. Bass will be tight to the trees and will require some bushwhacking to get to them. Water is crystal clear with the exception of the backs of canyons and coves. Long casts are needed to have any chance of catching bass in the trees. The lure must be weedless to survive the journey. One good method used last week involved casting weedless rigged senkos into brush and allowing them to sink slowly near basking bass.

In cloudy water with brush it is possible to have success by fishing vertically. Drop the lure in an open space between tree limbs, let it go the bottom and rest, and then retrieve it through the entrance hole. Retrieving in a normal horizontal direction results in constant snagging in thick  brush. This technique is particularly good for crappie who feel secure in brush piles. If the boat is moved slowly and quietly into the brush forest, it is possible to catch crappie and bass within a rods length of the boat with a lure dangled and twitched straight up and down in thick cover.

Bottom line - In cold water largemouth bass and crappie are in the brush. To catch fish the lure has to be where the fish are.

Stripers have shown no interest in leaving the backs of the canyons. In most years, the lack of forage during Spring sends them looking for current and food. They often end up at the dam or in the main channel. So far, there has been no fish movement. They remain in the back of the canyon with a decent over wintering shad population providing for their needs.

Stripers are schooled but schools are very mobile. Successful anglers are covering a lot of water to find a school. They are cooperative as long as an active lure or bait holds their interest. Often the time it takes to remove a fish from the net, unhook it and take a picture allows the school to lose interest and leave the area. Trolling is the best technique right now to find and catch stripers. Use a Thunderstick, Megabait or other deep diver that puts the lure down near the 25 foot bottom contour that has been the most productive depth to catch them.

Best fishing time has been midday when warming water increases fish activity.
 

March 17, 2009
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3611
Water Temp: 51-55 F

Tayler McNabb with fat striper typical for 2009.

Striped bass are feeding. There is one pattern that works lake wide. Schools rest in deep water (50-100 feet) but periodically come up to look for shallow (25 feet and less) shad schools. The key to consistently catching stripers is to work the breaking edge of structure at the 25 foot contour. Use the graph and find the edge where the deep water meets shallow. There will be a striper school resting along the break line at some point. The best way to find the school is to troll along the 25 foot contour.

Much greater success is found by using a deep diving lure that actually runs at 25 feet. That can be accurately determined by trolling in shallow water with a sand bottom (not brush). When the lure hits bottom you know how deep it runs. You will be disappointed to find that most deep divers actually run about 10-12 feet deep. Find a 25-foot deep runner and troll the 25 foot contour for consistent success. Down riggers or leaded line work well.

The last suggestion is to have a jigging spoon rigged and ready. When a striper is hooked trolling, it is common for the entire school to follow. These fish are awake, alert and looking for food. Drop the spoon to catch a few more fish while they are active. You will find that the school loses interest quickly and runs away from the boat. At that point resume trolling, find another school, troll up some fish, then spoon some up, and troll once more. This technique is proven and will work all over the lake.

March 10, 2009
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3611
Water Temp: 50-52 F

Striper City - Stretches from Buoy 131 to 136

Such was the case recently. An angler reported readily catching stripers at the common mouth of White, Farleys and Trachyte Canyons. That area is affectionately called "striper city" by the regular Hite anglers. A return trip to the same area produced no stripers but the angler fished his way downlake to Good Hope Bay and found willing fish in the back of Red Canyon.

The technique was flat line trolling with jointed megabaits in "shallow" water. Megabaits tuned properly will troll at 20-25 feet. If fished just above the bottom, stripers that have come shallow to feed will take a pass at baits that come in close proximity. They won't chase far but a lure that occasionally scuffs the bottom in 22 feet of water is hard to resist. One day last week over 100 stripers were caught in the back of Red Canyon. The next day the fish may have moved to another reef or another location. They could also go deep and not feed every day.

 

Megabaits (Joint JB-120)- Jointed deep divers

The pattern is most important and the individual location less so. All winter, trolling with a deep diver has produced a few stripers for patient anglers. It is a good technique that allows graphing and locating while offering the fish a hook to bite if it is so inclined.

Other lures that will work for deep trolling are deep Thundersticks, deep down Husky Jerks. Shallower running baits can be fished deep with down riggers, leaded line, or by adding weight in front.

Another variation I seldom pass up is dropping spoons to stripers school located on the graph while trolling. A spoon placed mid-school can start instant feeding activity. Stripers may continue to bite as long as a spoon is in the school or a hooked fish is being played. What often happens is all anglers get fish in the boat at the same time allowing the remaining fish to lose interest and get away. The worst thing that can happen is for a hooked fish to break off and swim away with lure in mouth and the rest of the school in pursuit. When that happens it's time to troll again to locate a new school.
 

March 3, 2009
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3611
Water Temp: 49-51 F

Spring is right around the corner and that will be followed closely by good fishing. Water temperature finally climbed out of the 40's. Fishing success improves dramatically when morning temperature hits 54 degrees. Fishing really blasts off when morning water temperature is 57 because that means afternoon temperature on that day will usually exceed 60. Warm water fish love 60 degree water.

Right now the first fish to stir are largemouth bass and walleye. Walleye are close to spawning with warming water being the trigger. That is not so good for catching because walleye don't eat when actively spawning. BUT, the larger females will eat just prior to spawning. The largest walleye population is in the upper lake near Hite. Look there for the best chance of catching early spring walleye.
 

Brian Hammond - 6 Pound - Largemouth Bass

The same warming trigger gets largemouth bass moving. Smallmouth bass pull the covers over their head and continue to sleep until the 57 degree temperature plateau is reached. Expect largemouth to come into shallow water in the afternoon to bask in slightly warmer water near a south facing rock wall that collects solar heat and transmits it to surrounding water. Fishing is not fast by any stretch, but some of the largest bass of the year are caught during March.

Striped bass are always prowling looking for food. They come up to 25 feet to look and then drop back down to the 60-90 foot depths to wait. They can be caught at either location. The best springtime chance is with shallow fish. This spring expect stripers to be near the back of the canyon where shad have spent the winter. They will not venture out into the main channel until much later than usual. Follow the bottom contour until the average depth is 25 feet. Then use slow moving stump jumpers, road runners or hard baits like shad raps and pointers. I often troll in the spring top cover lots of water trying to intercept an active school. Keep an eye trained on the graph. Stationary schools can be activated with spoons or anchovy bait. If the school stays in one spot then multiple fish may be caught until they decide to move on. When they exit, return to search mode to find more willing fish.

The best fishing location by far is Hite. The far south primitive ramp is still useable with about 5 feet of depth. Be careful heading toward the main channel. It may be best to use the electric motor until in deeper water. Then head downstream to the confluence of White/Farley/Trachyte. Start there for a good fishing trip.

It's good to be back. I will see you on the lake.

December 12, 2008
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3620
Water Temp: 56-57 F

Dont confuse that with the Asian clam that is already present in Lake Powell

The problem with mussels is that they are so prolific that they cover the lake bottom and hard underwater structures with live shellfish. They can even attach to slow moving animals like crayfish. Nothing is safe. They have been known to form a shell reef over a foot thick and actually deposit enough shells to close off water pipes less than 18 inches in diameter.

The mussel threat to Lake Powell has now increased beyond description. While mussels cannot climb over Glen Canyon Dam to enter the lake the chance of boaters bringing larval mussels from the lower basin to Powell is "almost" a certainty. The only chance for Lake Powell to avoid this fate is if all visitors are made aware of the problem and take steps to prevent invaders from making it to Lake Powell. Please do everything in your power to prevent mussels from altering the beauty and bounty that is now enjoyed.

Mussel encrusted outdrive.

o Flush the motor and bilges with hot, soapy water or a 5% solution of household
bleach.
 

o Completely inspect your vessel and trailer, removing any visible mussels, but also
feel for any rough or gritty spots on the hull. These may be young mussels that can
be hard to see.
 

o Wash the hull, equipment, bilge and any other exposed surface with hot, soapy water
or use a 5% solution of household bleach.
 

o Clean and wash your trailer, truck or any other equipment that comes in contact with
lake water. Mussels can live in small pockets anywhere water collects.
 

o Air-dry the boat and other equipment for at least five days before launching in any
other waterway.

Additional information can be found at www.protectyourwaters.net
www.100thMeridian.org.
 

Expect to be asked questions about your boat and where it has been before entering or launching at Lake Powell. DWR techs will be on the ramps beginning in March 2008 to answer your questions about mussels and protect the lake from mussels.

October 29, 2008
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3623.99
Water Temp: 63-65 F

Shane Spravzoff 

Striped bass hatched in 2009 will survive on plankton early in the year and may eat some shad in summer and fall if shad are abundant. The main predatory impact of the new striped bass overpopulation will not be felt until 2010. Striped bass fishing in 2009 will be great for large numbers of 4-pound fish. If shad are scarce, bait fishing will be excellent. If shad are abundant in 2009, then stripers will grow to 6-pounds before the predation induced forage crash occurs in 2010.

Bass, particularly largemouth, were treated to a forest of habitat as the lake rose 45 feet in 2008. Brush that had grown around the lake edge was flooded providing dense cover for largemouth, crappie and bluegill. Copious shad were added to the fish forest resulting in lush habitat and feeding conditions seldom seen in this lake.

Smallmouth hung out on the rocks at the edge of the habitat forest feeding on shad at a leisurely rate and loving it. These conditions were optimum for all sport fish. Bluegill, crappie, walleye, and catfish all excelled. The perfect mix of food and cover was to the liking of all participants, perhaps with one exception.

The only one left out in this ideal aquatic situation was the angler. When fish are well fed and housed they have no reason to respond to baits and lures with more than a token attempt. Stripers lost interest in anchovy bait in early summer. With live shad or dead bait on the menu there was little reason to choose bait. Cover made it hard (not impossible) to coax bass out of the sheltered lair to feed when they could consume sunfish and shad without leaving home.

It is refreshing to have a complacent fish year like this occasionally to allow the sport fish a chance grow larger at their leisure. The standard at Powell is large numbers of small fish with low to no forage which makes hungry fish easy to catch. Results in 2008 were completely different with fat fish being difficult to catch. Those pleasant conditions (for fish) remain in place today and it may remain that way through winter.

Patience is the key. This season is all but over. Normal conditions will return. Fishing success will improve in 2009. The end result will be excellent fishing for bigger better fish. I love it.