LAKE POWELL- Courtesy Wayne Gustaveso, Utah Division of Wildlife. Aug. 4, 2009, Lake Elevation: 3,640. Water Temp: 80- 87 F

Striper boils at Hite went from Hot to Not in one week’s time. Recently water cleared up enough for stripers to find abundant shad. Stripers boiled unmercifully for a week. Then something changed and stripers went from boiling all day, every day to boiling a little bit night and morning. This abrupt change is reminiscent of August 2008 when fishing at Hite was tough as nails. It could be that abundant shad negate the need for stripers to boil when feeding. They just open mouth and shad seemingly swim in without effort. For what ever reason, it seems boils at Hite are quiet for awhile.

Hite fishing reports indicate it is common to catch stripers while trolling or spooning at a bottom depth of 25 feet. Bonus walleye and bass are caught as well. But better balanced fishing results occur downstream.

At Good Hope Bay and locations downstream there are still some really fine striper boils early and late with random surface action during the day. Bass fishing is excellent for those willing to fish slowly with plastic grubs along the 25 foot bottom contour.

Best striper fishing is in the main channel from Good Hope to the mouth of the San Juan. Perhaps Bullfrog /Halls is the best starting point to access striper surface disturbances. The most consistent boils last week were at the mouth of Lake Canyon. But there are many locations where stripers boil on schedule each morning and evening. It is a delight to camp and swim on this lake of beautiful warm water and has the added bonus of boiling stripers near camp at the beginning and end of the day.

Only spotty boil reports are coming from the Escalante while the San Juan main channel from the mouth to Cha Bay has lots of  boil activity early and late.

Sporadic big boil reports continue in the southern lake. It seems that predictable, repeatable boiling action is not found each day, but there are boils just often enough to make it necessary to keep a rod rigged with a surface lure close at hand. When the event happens that rod will provide supper for a family with 4 good casts.

In the August heat keep stripers on ice and fillet as soon as possible. Stripers are best when eaten fresh. If you have been disappointed with the taste of stripers in the past, it is time to try them again. These fat fish are in perfect condition and taste much different from thin stripers caught on bait in other years. Eat them fresh after a short time in the cooler. Cut out the red meat, and grill the fillets with olive oil and lime juice for a perfect meal.

Catfish and sunfish are likely to be under the boat when camped on the lake. They are easy to catch on worms or table scraps.

LEES FERRY – From Ted Welling at Lees Ferry Anglers & Cliff Dwellers Lodge .

Fly Fishing: Fishing has been good for the past few days. I have been out quite a bit lately, I targeted the sippers in the back eddies and did very well. I landed some large fish too, surprising to land fish so large that are eating midges.

I took a friend out with me yesterday afternoon for a few hours, took turns at bat so to speak, and just had a hoot. Mike had two rods set up, a nymphing rig and a dry dropper set up. So we’re fishing the back eddies and I am at bat, he just can’t take it…. throws in the nymph rig and what do you know he hooks a whopper.

We decide to hit another spot, darn-it somebody was already there. We decide to just watch for a minute. I was asked to take a picture of the three friends so of course I did but, I also checked out how they were rigged up. I had noticed they were catching some fish. Now I suppose I could have asked but I didn’t want them to think we were planning to fish in on them. They were fishing wooly buggers with sink tips, I know they did well. I admit I did not do any wading so I can’t tell you how the riffles are fishing. I will try a little tomorrow and let you know.

Walk in: Word has it that the walk-in section is fishing well in fact Michael fished this section yesterday morning and from what I understand he had one of his better days. I really can’t tell what he was using as he ties his own bugs but, I do know he was nymphing.

The cicadas have played their course, you hear one lonely cicada here and there but, it’s over for the season. Kind of weak this season, may-be next year. Tight lines T

Spin Fishing: I did a little spin fishing the past few days and did well.
I was using both a panther martin and a vibrax blue fox and I can’t tell you what worked better. Both did the trick. It was not on fire or nothing but, I was pleased. So, if you have been thinking of fishing,,,,,,,, C’mon down, fishing is good at lees ferry. Ted

BE SURE YOU CRIMP THE BARBS.
• If you have some news you would like to report about fishing lees ferry, the walk-in section or up river please e-mail your report to: anglers@leesferry.com Attn. Lees Ferry Fishing Report

We would be happy to have your input, and pass it along.
-Ted Welling, Lees Ferry Anglers & Cliff Dwellers Lodge

Lees Ferry Fishing Synopsis and Forecast by Terry Gunn 6/29/09

Visit www.leesferry.com for daily fishing reports and updates.

Recent Fishing Conditions: Summer arrived with the mild temperatures and calm winds, a welcome relief from our crummy spring weather. The weather has warmed of late and the cicadas are starting to sing and the fish are just now starting to key in on them. It is too early to tell what “kind” of cicada year it will be…every year is different. I have seen the bite last only 2 weeks and other years last well into late August. Our cicadas are unusual in the fact that they hatch every year, most places they occur every 7 or 14 years. I have seen 4 hatches that were so intense that the fish would come up off the bottom in the middle of the river to eat a cicada that has landed on the water. Watch our daily reports for up to date reports on the cicada hatch.

The water flows will increase in volume for July and August. These two months usually provide the best and most consistent fishing of the entire year here at Lees Ferry and they are also the least crowded. In the higher water most all of our fishing is done from the boat, drifting with heavy nymph rigs or casting big cicada dry flies into the rocky shores. The largest fish of the year are usually caught in the summer months and it is during these 2 months that the trout experience tremendous growth rates due to the high water transporting large quantities of food around.

For those who were fortunate to be here during the 8,000 constant flows in early July, they likely experienced the best fishing of their lives. There were many days where more than 100 fish were hooked per rod, fishing was off the charts (we rated it a “9” only because no fish over 10-lbs were landed). You may remember from my previous reports my mention of our prolific spawn of 2007 and that the river was full of small fish that disappear from the time that they reach 3” and reappear when they are 12” long…well, they showed up in mass immediately following the 8,000 constant flow. They are everywhere! For the first time in many years we are catching fish of all sizes, from 10’’ to 20” which is typical of a very healthy river. The only downside is that our average fish size has dramatically decreased; the river is still chock-full of big fish but the challenge is getting your fly past the smaller and not so smart little fish.

The current health of the river is outstanding…better than it has been in years. Last year’s above normal runoff into Lake Powell delivered and stirred up countless tons of nutrients into the water and this nutrient rich water is passing through the dam and into the river. Algae is everywhere in the river and this provides food and habitat for the aquatic food base that the trout depend upon. Lake Powell has risen more than 30-ft this year and is still rising which is good news for us and all of the people in the southwest who depend on this water for household use and electrical generation. The rising lake and the nutrient load will guarantee this trend of healthy trout populations and good fishing will continue for the next several years.

The turning point and the beginning for the recovery of the Lees Ferry fishery occurred in 2005 when Lake Powell had the first above normal snow-pack and runoff year since 1997. Last year we had almost exactly the same conditions. The above normal winter snow pack and runoff into Lake Powell in 2007-08, stirred up a tremendous amount of nutrient laden sediment that had accumulated at the lake mouths of the Colorado River, San Juan River, and the Green River. Lake Powell elevation increased 43-ft. and the rivers flowing into the lake mixed the sediment and nutrients into the lake water. It usually takes several months before we see this mixing affect. The increased nutrient load in the lake and river is evident this spring by the dramatic increase in aquatic vegetation and aquatic organisms throughout the river.

For those of you that remember what the fishing was like in 1999 and 2000…you should be as excited as I am about the current conditions and what the increased nutrient load should do for the fishing at Lees Ferry.

Lots of stuff happening at the Ferry and it is all good!

Recent Fishing: With the water flows increasing we will be spending more time fishing from the boat than wading. Fishing techniques have been mixed between using a “heavy nymph rig” which is a 9 to 12-ft leader, strike indicator, split shot, and dual fly rig, a “double tiny” rig with a long leader and 2 bead-head midges on 7X, or a dry and dropper rig. I have been using 6 and 7X fluorocarbon tippet and feel that the lighter tippet results in a much higher success rate than say 5X. Anglers might argue that they break fish off on such light tippet but my argument is that in order to break a fish off, you first have to first get a fish to eat your fly and you are going to get more eaters with lighter tippet than heaver tippet.

When wading the riffles you need long dead drifts. There are 2 types of drifts; perfect dead drifts and all other drifts. Perfect dead drifts catch fish at Lees Ferry; all other drifts don’t catch fish here. You get a dead drift by mending the line, then throwing slack line on the water. If your line is straight from your rod tip to your indicator or you move your indicator during the drift, then your drift is not perfect and will not catch fish. The key to success is to stay over fish, get the flies down to the bottom, and get a long, perfect dead drift.

The high flow experiment, 4/08, was basically a non event as far as the fishery is concerned. It came and went with few visible changes to the river or the fishery. For more details and to see my complete comments go here: http://coloradoriverconservancy.org/.

The experimental steady flows that occurred in September and October 2008 (12,000 constant) were beneficial to the river and are scheduled again for 2009. In years past, the flows in September and October have been the lowest flows of the year and have reset the “green line” to the 5,000-cfs level from the 12,000-cfs level of the summer flows. This has effectively reduced the food supply in the river by a significant amount. Then the higher flows of November and December arrive; but because of the declining sun angle and the shade of the cliffs, photosynthesis and aquatic production in the river declines and the areas of the river that were desiccated by the low flows do not regenerate until the following spring. This did not happen this year because of the steady flows in September and October the green line stayed high. The current fluctuating flows (7,500-cfs to 13,000-cfs) are continuing to keep the green line higher than in years past. There have been prolific midge and black-fly hatches every day and it appears as though the scud population has a higher density than any time since 2004.

For details on Lake Powell conditions and snow-pack, go here: http://lakepowell.water-data.com/
LAKE MEAD –Lake Mead water level have remained fairly steady.  The current level is 1,094 feet above msl. The striper bite has been great.  Striper boils have been reported all over the lake. Both trolling and fishing under lights at night yielded large numbers of fish.  The lights are more productive when used around the new moon, on dark nights (full moon is Aug. 5).  Most stripers being caught are in the 1 lb range, with occasional fish up to two lbs.  Stripers are being caught 12’ – 60’ of water.  Catfish are also biting on anchovies.

Launching conditions at South Cove will continue to deteriorate as the water level continues to drop.  The concrete ramp the National Park Service completed last year is one lane with cones marking the edges. Use caution not to go off the sides of the metal extensions at either side. National Park Service is working to keep the ramp open.  Temple bar launch ramp is two lanes.  Launching conditions in general are better at temple bar than south cove.

Important notice: With the discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders.  Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, 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.

For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s web pages at azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.

LAKE MOHAVE – The lake level is around 641 feet above msl.  Fishing for stripers seems to be fair.  Stripers are being caught while trolling or still fishing with anchovies.  Submersible lights are very effective for stripers when used on dark nights. The full moon is Aug. 5.  Bass are located both in shallow and on fish habitat in 15-20 ft.

Biologists from both Arizona Game and Fish Department and Nevada Division of Wildlife with the help of volunteers, National Park Service and Bureau of Reclamation personnel have continued to install fish habitat in Carp Cove, Box Cove and now Shoshone.  Fish habitat consists of PVC structures, wood pallet structures, Tamarisk bundles, and some Christmas trees. The largemouth, bluegill and catfish are really utilizing the new structures.  Additional habitat will be added at several locations over the next two years.  These structures are fish magnets.

There is a wheelchair accessible fishing pier just south of the main launch ramp at Katherine’s Landing. If you fish Mohave and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

Important notice: With the discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, 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.

For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s web pages at www.azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.

WILLOW BEACH – Trout are stocked every Friday.  Trout anglers fishing from shore were catching trout on and around the pier area.  About 50-percent of anglers were successful.  Those successful at landing trout were fishing with salmon-egg scented Power Bait, flies, and Power worms.  Most fishermen were successful in the early morning and around noon, when the wind picked up.

No stripers were reported being caught last Saturday, but the bite should be fair to good.

The desert bighorn sheep are in the rut, so this is a great time to fish and possibly see some rams bumping heads (or at least hear them – it sounds like a rifle shot echoing in the canyons). The Perseids meteor shower is also underway, providing another attraction at night. Some of the more pronounced meteors can light up Black Canyon on occasion.

Important notice: With the discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, 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. If you fish Willow beach and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.
For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s web pages at www.azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.

TOPOCK MARSH – The water level is up and the bite has been fair.  Both bass and catfish are biting.  Catfish are biting on anchovies and night crawlers.

You can access the marsh by boat at the North Dike, Catfish Paradise, and Five-Mile Landing. All three also provide plenty of area for shoreline fishing too. For more information on the marsh, contact the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge at (760) 326-3853 or go to http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/arizona/havasu/index.html.

Important notice: With the discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, 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.

For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s web pages at www.azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.

COLORADO RIVER BELOW DAVIS DAM –No new reports.  The striper bite has been pretty good.

Water levels on the river fluctuate, so be careful. You can check the Bureau of Reclamation Web site for flow predictions http://www.usbr.gov/lc/riverops.html before you go. If you fish the river below Davis Dam and are having luck, please e-mail me at mchmiel@azgfd.gov so I can share your successes with others.

Important notice: With the discovery of invasive quagga mussels in Mead, Mohave and Havasu, proper cleaning of all watercraft is critical to help prevent the spread of these invaders. Please drain and dry your livewell and bilge on land. Drain all the water you can from your engine. Also, 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.

For more information, go to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Web pages at www.azgfd.gov or visit http://100thmeridian.org/.