Lake Powell Fishing Report by Wayne’s Words 5-14-13

• Category: Fishing Reports

Lake Powell Fish Report – May 14, 2013
Lake Elevation: 3596
Water Temperature 65-72 F
By: Wayne Gustaveson

Warmwater fish really respond to changes in water temperature.  Lake Powell water temperature is now ranging from 65-72F meaning that spring fishing responses are on the way out and summer personality traits are setting in.

The most noticeable sign of warming water is the appearance of phytoplankton which gives lake water a green hue. Formerly crystal clear water now has much less visibility.  Normally we blame runoff for clouding the water but this year runoff has just barely started and clarity is lessened by plankton.

It is time to say good bye to spawning bass and crappie. There were still some active nests this past week but the bass spawn is concluding now. Bass fishing is not over; it just changes to summer mode. Nest builders are leaving the shallows to go deeper. Wise anglers will adjust and do the same following the bigger bass to 15-25 feet.  Crappie will move to open water and suspend making them harder to find but susceptible to slow trolling with small plastic grubs.

Fishing Tip:  Free floating Carolina rigged baits behind a sliding sinker are more effective in the summer. Use the same plastic grubs, tubes and senkos, just rig them differently for more consistent success.  Follow the 25-foot depth contour for best success.

Smallmouth bass will be fun and easy to catch in the shallow rocks all along the shore.  But if you prefer the bigger fish then the advice just given about fishing deeper should be heeded. Big smallmouth are moving deeper once they leave the nest and will be caught at 25 feet as the water temperature climbs into the upper 70s.

Stripers will continue to hang out on the canyon walls until shad spawn and fry grow large enough to become striper food. For the remainder of the month stripers will continue to be caught like crazy with bait in the southern lake. Right now each shallow ledge extending out to 20 feet then falling into deep water holds a striper school.  Stripers are eating plankton in the surface layer and crayfish on the 20 foot ledge while waiting for shad to appear.

Hot fishing spots are found all over Padre Bay.  Good camping beaches often have a striper school nearby that can be caught from shore. Locate stripers by slow trolling lures in the upper 30 feet while graphing to find a school. When a striper is caught or a school seen on the graph, toss out a handful of chum and go to work. Stripers will rise to the chum but can be caught on an assortment of lures.  Anchovies are a sure thing but everything from fly fishing to bottom bouncing works to catch these hungry fish. Please keep all the stripers you can use or give away to family and friends. It is population adjustment time and the southern lake will benefit from a smaller striper population.

Some stripers are still in the backs of canyons and easy to find and catch. Just work the mudline or color changes from brown to green water. Troll medium to deep divers at the color change where bottom depth is between 20 and 45 feet. Fishing is not as fast as that found on the canyon walls but stripers caught will generally be larger and fatter.

Walleye are enjoying the greener/murkier water and not very patiently waiting for shad to spawn.  They are eating anything they can find all day long. Walleye fishing success will be at its peak for the next two weeks.  The most effective technique this week was to put a night crawler on a quarter ounce jig head and slowly drag it along the bottom in 12-26 feet of colored water.  The technique can be dressed up with worm harnesses, beads, spinners and bottom bouncers but the message here is that walleye are hungry and willing right now. There are more walleye north of Bullfrog than south but many are being caught all over the lake. That will continue for the rest of the month.

The muddy water near White and Farleys Canyon was great for walleye and fat stripers earlier in the  month but runoff is now starting which will reduce visibility to zero, cool the water and reduce fishing success.  The backs of canyons will provide better fishing than the main channel on the far north end of the lake.

Lake Powell Fishing Report by Wayne Gustavson 5-08-13

• Category: Fishing Reports

Lake Powell Fish Report – May 8, 2013
Lake Elevation: 3596
Water Temperature 59-65 F
By: Wayne Gustaveson

One week after the spring fishing peak and fishing is still good. A lingering cold front has slowed fishing for bass slightly but stripers continue to eat bait in the southern lake. One disturbing note is that lake level is still going down making it uncertain that the lake will raise much during the normal runoff period.  There is still time but the runoff is slow to start.  A lower lake leaves brush out of the water and causes access problems at some ramps.  Hite ramp is closed but other ramps at main access areas are in full operation.

The bass spawn is still on with many occupied bass nests seen in shallow rocky areas.  The cooler weather has caused some nests to be abandoned but males will return to the nests with the warming trend scheduled for this weekend when day time air temperatures are forecast to be near 80 degrees.

Walleye fishing is at its peak with many fish caught deep on live worm harnesses and bottom bouncing rigs.  Bass anglers are finding success by casting soft plastic jigs tipped with a piece of night crawler and worked slowly along the bottom from 12-26 feet. Walleye are caught lakewide but are more abundant on the north end in the cloudy water.

Crappie are still found in the backs of the canyons. There are more fish caught in the remote areas of the San Juan and inflow areas near Hite. But crappie are caught throughout the lake in muddy water near the backs of canyons.

Stripers are still the biggest news on the fishing scene.  Catches from the dam all the way uplake to Rock Creek are phenomenal. Many stripers have been tagged in this area for a contest sponsored by Cabelas.  You must be preregistered to win cash and merchandise. Register here:  http://www.cabelas.com/browse.cmd?categoryId=107520480

Some tag returns have already been reported but there are many more tagged stripers waiting to be caught. Most tagged stripers are in the southern lake where striper fishing is hot but there are also a few near Bullfrog.

Stripers are being caught on cut bait by chumming along the canyon walls and fishing with a small piece of anchovy or sardine. These 3-4 pound stripers are educated and can quickly steal bait visibly attached to a hook. Those that use invisible fluorocarbon leaders catch fish that steal bait from hooks on monofilament line.  Never attach a hook directly to braided line when bait fishing.

Some stripers are still hanging out at the back of the canyon in murky water. These fish are best caught by trolling or casting medium to deep diving hard plastic baits. The magic bottom depth is 25 feet where water is stained.

Stephen Maurer and family were casting tubes and cranks in the back of the Escalante Arm this week to catch many stripers up to 9 pounds. Stephen used a large gold deep diving crankbait to land a 23-pound, 37-inch striper.
If another option is needed yearling stripers are eating plankton suspended at 25-30 feet in open bays near slick rock cliffs and coves. These smaller but fatter fish can be caught on bait or by casting and trolling small jerk baits where big schools of fish are graphed.

It is really hard to miss now when fishing at Lake Powell. If you have not yet tried fishing here but really would like to do it – This is the Time.

Lake Powell Striper Fishing 5-05-13

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Lake Powell Fishing Report 5-05-13

• Category: Fishing Reports

Scott Barclay Fly Fishing 5-05-13

Bob Whited – 5-04-13 Fly Fishing Stripers

Lake Powell Elevation:  3596.22

Water Temp: 65

Fishing remains incredible right now.  If you are a Fly Fisherman come up to Lake Powell as it is fantastic.  I have some videos I will post that show you how great the fishing is.  Also below some more pictures of anglers this weekend conventional and fly fishing.

Scott Barclay Group 5-05-13

Scott Barclay Group 5-05-13

Lake Powell has been reported in the News to be in the top Fishing Areas currently.  See you on the Lake …Capt. Bill

Lake Powell Fishing by Wayne Gustavson 5-2-13

• Category: Fishing Reports

Lake Powell Fish Report – April 30, 2013
Lake Elevation: 3596
Water Temperature 58-67 F
By: Wayne Gustaveson
http://www.wayneswords.com

Spring Fishing Peak!  Now is the time to catch any of the Big Six sport fish in Lake Powell.
In Alphabetical order:

Catfish:  Hitting bait at night on the sandy beach near camp where the boat is parked.

Crappie:  These schooling fish are a bit lost without brush.  While males are making nests in the dirty water at the backs of canyons and coves, many more crappie are schooling in open water in the back of canyons. The key to finding fish is to look for a significant color change from muddy to lightly muddy.  Crappie feel more comfortable when protected by brush but without that, they seek the cover of murky water where they may hide and feed on smaller fish.  Slow trolling and casting small plastic crappie jigs in 4-6 feet of water is the most productive technique.

Largemouth Bass:  Like crappie, bigmouth bass prefer to hide in brush. Failing that, they will use deeper water where visibility is lessened.  Normally, casting to the shoreline is the best bass technique but now drifting along shore and fishing the bottom 10 feet off shore and 10-20 feet deep is better. Look for anything resembling a bush or tall rock that may harbor a bass.  Of course, nesting bass can be seen and caught at their chosen nest location.

Smallmouth Bass: Spawning bass are now found in shallow water over the length of the lake.  The best spot is on the breaking edge of a shallow flat leading toward deep water. Find the edge of big rocks, small terraces, rocky points, or better yet, just go look for nests that are so obvious in the clear shallow water all along the lake shoreline.  It is sight fishing time for bass!

Striped bass: Seriously? From Moki Canyon to Glen Canyon Dam pull up to the main channel wall, drop anchovy bait, and catch fish after fish.  Bait fishing is much better in the south but now Moki and Lake Canyon near Bullfrog have turned on too.  There are stripers all along the shallows where bass anglers catch them on grubs, cranks and spinner baits.   They are in deep water in open bays where they can be caught on spoons and swim baits. They are at medium depths near the mouth of coves where trolling shallow to medium runners is very effective. If you don’t catch stripers at the first spot just try a couple more places in the same area to find a waiting school.  The best bait fishing spot in the south is near Buoy 25 in the south shoreline slick rock coves. Best bait spot midlake is Moki Wall. Best trolling spot in the north is mouth of White Canyon.

Walleye: For all night owls- walleye are very active after dark in the same areas where bass are found in the day time.  The sure technique for me is to get out before first light and fish the mouth of coves at a depth of 12 feet to find hungry walleye.  This early morning bite is very dependable but it slams shut as soon as the sun hits the water. Fish the eastern slope in the shade of steep walls to prolong the bite an extra hour.  Muddy water from White Canyon to the Horn is particularly good for walleye

In summary, this is the peak of spring fishing.  There is no reason to wait. Try to get here as soon as possible to take advantage of the ideal conditions now occurring.  Water is stable and warming. Weather is good without high winds in the forecast.  Now is the time. Have Fun!

Lake Powell Fishing 4-25 through 27, 2013

• Category: Fishing Reports

The Rowell’s from MN Fly Fishing

The Wahlstrom Group

1 of the 101 Fish Caught

If a picture says 1000 words….the following will definitely give you the “scoop” of what is happening at Lake Powell.  Fishing remains at it’s tops in years both conventional and fly fishing.  It will remain that way indefinitely this summer.  My customers are having 15-20 fish catches on half day and 30-40- fish on a full day charter individually.  Bass are on the beds and water temperatures are running 62 degrees.  Customers have asked about Walleye, their occasional at best this year but can be caught and look for May to be your best shot!

The cut should be open 1st or 2nd week of June.  Our launches are only at Wahweap Marina at Lake Powell Resort.  If you are on your own, you can launch your boat from Antelope Point and save mileage and fuel.  Guides are not allowed to launch from there.

When fishing stop in any point in the Main Channel and the fish will find you.  Anchovies are the “ticket” this year.  When Fly Fishing with Bill be sure an request his “super duper” fly…. But, you can see results from these photos.  Last Friday the Wahlstrom group (5 anglers) caught 101 Fish!…Doesn’t get any better than that.

Tight Lines,

Capt. Bill

Lake Powell Fishing Report by Wayne Gustavson 4-24-13

• Category: Fishing Reports

Lake Elevation: 3597 Water Temperature 53-60 F

It’s a typical year as bass move on nest sites as the water warms and then pull off as water cools. If the home cove is protected from wind it stays warm and bass spawn.  If strong wind cools water then spawning is delayed until the next calm period. The big selling point for coming sooner rather than later to fish for spawning bass is lake level. The lake is stabilizing, ready to start filling. Sight fishing is best in crystal clear water.  Rising water causes bank sloughing which clouds the shallow water and reduces visibility. All these factors suggest that the last week of April and first week of May will be the peak time for spring bass fishing success.

Runoff from the Colorado River will cool and muddy the water from Hite to Good Hope Bay. Backs of northern lake canyons will have greater visibility, warmer water and good fishing but with the Hite launch ramp high and dry there is no reason to pass up the great bass fishing at midlake canyons.

There may be other reasons to go north however, as striper and walleye trolling success is increasing. May is the best month to fish for walleye lakewide as they try to recover from spawning stress and rebuild their muscle mass. Walleye search for food continually in these low forage conditions while waiting for shad to spawn and grow. Trolling along muddy shorelines may be the best strategy for walleye.

Striped bass are still found along every shoreline in the southern lake. Bait fishing is the most successful technique as stripers patrol along the canyon walls from the dam to the back of Navajo Canyon.  From Padre Bay to Rincon stripers are found in isolated spots along the shoreline and can be readily collected by casting jerk baits (Lucky Craft Pointers) into the shallows.  Bait fishing is improving in the Bullfrog area but it is not yet producing the incredible numbers found near the dam. Expect Bullfrog striper bait fishing to improve as water temperature warms into the 60s.

This is my best suggestion for a one-day fishing trip on the southern half of Lake Powell.  Water temperature will be cool in the early morning. At dawn go toward the back of the canyon and troll along the shoreline in 25 feet of water with medium running crankbaits or bottom bouncing worm harnesses. Walleye are a low light feeder and may be more aggressive in morning twilight.

When the sun hits the water head to the main channel and fish bait for striped bass along the canyon wall.   Chum a spot to locate fish. If they don’t bite within 10 minutes move on and repeat until a school lights up.  Catch stripers all morning long.  Fill the cooler as many times as needed stopping to fillet fish as space runs out.  Then take a lunch break.

As water warms into the 60s in the afternoon head for the backs of canyons and coves again, this time sight-fishing for bedding bass. Cast hard plastic jerk baits and soft plastic grubs to the shallows while trying to locate bass beds. Without brush, rock structure is the critical feature needed to find fish. Bass will be hiding in rock cracks, humps, rock piles and in tumbleweed piles. Warm water increases fish activity dramatically. Throw long casts in clear water to catch fish before they see you.

As the sun sets, if there is any energy left, try night fishing under the shadow of a green light near the marinas or canyon walls to catch another cooler full of striped bass.  That would make it a full day.

Lake Powell currently offers great fishing for all game fish residing in the lake.  It is possible to use your favorite fishing technique to catch your favorite warm water fish. The fish are ready, you just have to get here to enjoy the best spring fishing of the year.

Lake Powell Fishing 4-20-13

• Category: Fishing Reports

Chuck from Sheridan, WY

Fishing remains fantastic.  I am fishing further up Lake as there are no crowds and the fish are in really good shape.  Bait fishing excellent and fly fishing equally excellent.   I am confident the fishing will only increase and be really strong all Summer.  Check out our rates 1-4 Angler $550.00 = $137.50 each or 1/2 day $375 1-4 anglers 93.75 each.  Stay at the Days in and get a 15% discount if you are fishing with Ambassador Guides.

Scott’s Dogs checking out the “fishing action”

Got questions?  Please give us a call remember Answers are “free”.

Tight lines,

Capt. Bill

Lake Powell Fishing Report by Wayne Gustavson 4-17-13

• Category: Fishing Reports

Photo:Josh, Matt, Mike and Luke Gross found hot and heavy striper fishing in Navajo Canyon.with many multiple hook-ups as they fished bait for hungry stripers along the canyon walls. Striper action remains hot as bass move into  the shallows to spawn. Its a great time to be at Lake Powell.

Lake Powell Fish Report – April 17, 2013
Lake Elevation: 3597
Water Temperature 53-63 F
By: Wayne Gustaveson

As this report is written the wind is howling keeping water temperature down in the low 50s.  Don’t be discouraged. The wind will stop before the weekend allowing the temperature to rise.  Warming water will usher in the annual bass spawn.  If sight fishing for bass is high on your list then the fun begins as the water calms and continues into the first part of May.

Largemouth bass will be searching for some structure, like an old tree stump or submerged tumbleweed before sweeping a nest site.  Smallmouth will be fine nesting on a rocky point or ledge. Crappie will search for tumbleweeds or other dense cover. The males of these species guard the nest and offer parental care to protect their young.   However, brushy cover that has provided so much habitat the past few years is currently out of the water.  Without dense cover it will be difficult for the hatchlings to survive. It is imperative to return MALE bass and crappie caught guarding nests to allow them to protect their young in the absence of cover. Female bass and crappie can be harvested without impacting young survival.  Be advised that young crappie and largemouth bass produced this spring will have very low survival without brush shelter. It is possible that an early runoff could raise the lake high enough that old brush could be covered and protect some fish spawned in May but that is yet to be determined.

Striped bass are being caught in large numbers over the length of the lake. Deep water on the southern end, from the Dam to Navajo Canyon, offers anglers an unlimited opportunity to harvest stripers. The strategy is to chum near the main channel canyon wall.  Attach a chunk of anchovy to a lead head jig or a hook weighted with a sliding sinker. Cast the bait 30-50 feet from the boat and let it settle in the water column at the same rate the chum descends.  Striper schools move along the wall searching for food.  Chum excites the whole school and many can be caught in one location. The only hard part is to find the school.  Be patient for 10 minutes while waiting for the first bite, but if it does not come then move along the wall and chum again until the school lights up.

Hot spots are at the Dam, Buoy 3, Antelope Canyon, Power Plant intake, and Navajo Canyon points. A new spot is found in the main channel upstream from Dominguez Rock Floating restroom and the mouth of Face Canyon in the largest slick rock cove near Buoy 25.

Midlake reports indicate bait fishing success is improving at Lake Canyon mouth and along Moki wall. It will be another week or so before these spots show the massive striper harvest now being achieved in the southern lake.

From Good Hope north shad forage is more available and anchovies are less successful.  Trolling and casting for stripers and bass provides much more success. Trolling near the White Canyon channel marker has been very good for fat, healthy stripers.

On a personal note, my weekly fishing trip was on a breezy morning before the current windy storm front arrived. Trolling close to shore for stripers in murky water caused by recent wind events was steady but not fast. Mid morning the wind quit for an hour before changing direction.  Calm water warmed rapidly causing all fish in the cove to respond.  Trolling was no longer necessary. We cast jerk baits to the shallow shoreline and caught healthy stripers of all sizes and smallmouth bass to 3 pounds on every cast.  Then the wind blew hard from the opposite direction and we went in.

These wide open catching opportunities will be repeated many times during the next two weeks as water warms, spawning begins and fishing gets HOT.