COLORADO RIVER NORTHWEST
LAKE POWELL – By Wayne Gustaveson. Lake Elevation: 3,615. Water Temp: 61 – 73 F. Lake Powell is filling fast with 60,000 acre feet per day running into the reservoir from the tributaries. Runoff is strong and high but not yet at its peak. The shoreline is rapidly changing. Expect to reposition the boat every day if camped on shore. Do not leave vehicles close to the waters’ edge when camping for an extended period.

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 overnight 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 spinnerbaits and buzzbaits 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.
LEES FERRY – Fishing Report Courtesy Lees Ferry Anglers: Report by: Ted Welling, Saturday, May 9, 2009

Fly Fishing: Fishing was reported as great! We are not talking huge numbers of fish, but the fish are very healthy.

I have heard some folks mention that the trout are moving around a bit and are a little hard to locate. They are still in some of the favorite spots but just may-be a little deeper than the norm. So, you might try changing up your rig. A little longer leader more weight might do the trick. Or may-be try adjusting the location of your indicator, you may be getting a take but don’t notice it.

I have been out fishing quite a bit in the last week or so. I have been targeting the fish feeding in the back eddies. This is a tricky deal, you can see these fish just feeding like mad and once you pull in to fish these guy’s suddenly they are gone……. Hmmmm. Well I have it figured out.
When fishing the back eddies you have to be careful not to disrupt the flow of the food they are after. You will notice this almost instantly. If this happens you have to re-locate your craft so this does not happen, you’ll know when you get it right because the fish will still be there feeding. Get this maneuver right and you are in for some real fun. T

Walk in: This area is fishing as well. You don’t need be in the water waist deep, knee deep will do fine. Out in the water just enough to keep your line out and off the rocks. You will see a kind of line in the water where it turns from light to a darker color, that’s where you want to flick your fly and send it down stream with a good dead drift.

Flies of choice are the San Juan worm, brassies, zebra midges, lazer midge, midge x and the like. Both, up river and the walk-in section. T

Spin Fishing: Fishing with glo bugs and San Juan worms on the bottom seems to be the trick.
BE SURE YOU CRIMP THE BARBS.

LAKE MEAD – Lake Mead water levels are dropping at about one foot per week. The current level is 1,100 feet above msl. The striper bite is good. Both trolling and fishing under lights at night can yield large numbers of fish. The lights are more productive.  Two-pound stripers are not uncommon.

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 643 feet above msl.  Fishing for stripers seems to be pretty good in the southern portion of the lake. One angler reported catching a limit of 20” stripers in 5 hrs.  The new fish cleaning station at Katherine’s Landing is operational. Bass are located on fish habitat in 15-20 ft.  As the water warms look for the fish to become more active.

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.  Fishing has been pretty poor for trout.  Only 11-percent of the anglers fishing from shore caught any trout.  Trout were caught on Power Bait and spinners. Anglers fishing from the pier were not successful.

Four stripers were reported to the Willow beach store in April.  They ranged from 2 to 23 pounds.  As the water in the Basin begins to warm, look for the striper bite to pick up near Willow Beach.

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, but the fishing has been really slow.  Some bass are being caught, but fishing in general is slow.
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.

Fish report for Topock Gorge from Georgia at Capt Doyle’s Fishing Excursions:
There’s no catfish news from the Topock Marsh, but the bass anglers have been doing nicely at North Dyke. Bass up to 4-pounds have been taken on gold flat crankbait.

The numbers of stripers being caught in the Topock Gorge aren’t up to our fish loving standards, but the quality is there. There are a few bulky line-sides headed up river. One was spotted trying to nab a hooked fish. However, the average sizes have been running between 2- and 4-pounds. Pre-spawning fish are traveling, so fishers are having to prospect. Limits are hard to come by–anglers are averaging from three to six per day, but there are still plenty of opportunities for success.

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 live well 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. Trout are stocked once a month at both Davis Camp and the Riverside.  Look for the trout fishing to be good immediately following the stocking. The striper bite should get going any time.

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/.