FISHING
REPORT EDITOR:
Rory
Aikens, (602) 789-3214
January 12, 2010
LAKE
POWELL -- No recent reports. Winter conditions prevail.
LEES
FERRY – Courtesy Lees Ferry Anglers:
Fly
Fishing: The word is that fishing is just off the charts:
We are still drifting the channel for the most part, the water is still
too high to wade and have much success. The trout look as healthy
as I have seen in the 17 years that I have been here. We are catching
fish of all sizes, from a healthy 10-inch trout to a whopping 22
inches.
These fish are all over the San Juan worm and the zebra midge.
We had a guide out today with 3 anglers, three different times they
had a triple hook up to the boat and numerous doubles. They drifted
all day and mentioned they only had one drift that was vacant of fish.
The flows are supposed to go up just a bit for the month of January
and we predict fishing will be as good if not better.
Walk in: This section is fishing well, had a couple anglers give a
report the other day said, they cannot remember the walk-in ever fishing
so well this time of year. They reported catching fish with every thing
they threw. One reported after releasing a trout he was rinsing his
hands in the water with his rod on the ground next to him. Next thing
he knew his rod was headed out in the river, he had caught another
fish while his flies were just hanging there in the river. I would
say these fish are pretty active in the walk-in section.
Spin Fishing: All the reports I have receive for spin fishing are good.
Most folks are using the large glo-bugs while drifting and cashing
in. And I am getting other reports that gold spinners are doing well.
And the marabou jig is producing a good number of trout.
Courtesy
Terry Gunn, Lees Ferry Anglers.
Recent Fishing Conditions: High Water = Big Healthy Fish. Many of you
probably remember that for many years the winter months at Lees Ferry
were considered prime season…this winter should be no exception. Current
water releases from Glen Canyon Dam are higher than they have been
since the beginning of the drought in 1999. High water moves food around
and gets the fish in a feeding mood and makes for very predictable
and good fishing. The reason for the high water is an effort to equalize
Lake Powell and Lake Mead. If there is sufficient snowpack the higher
than normal water flows will continue for a year or more with a goal
to release 10.765 MAF (million acre feet) compared to the 8.23 MAF
of water that has been released every year since 1999. This bodes very
well for the current and future fishing. Fishing has been getting better
every year for the past several years and I predict that we will see
fishing this coming year that rivals the banner years in the 90’s.
The peak fishing periods of 1984-1988, and 1994-1999 were all preceded
by high water years.
Recent Fishing: My client from 12/11 said that he caught more pounds
of trout in his first day of fishing at Lees Ferry than in all his
previous days of fly fishing combined. The fish are fat, strong, and
hungry. The current high flows will continue for December and increase
slightly in January and drop in Feb., and lower again in March. The
high water is likely to stimulate a strong spawn, we are already seeing
a few fish spawning in the normal places.
With the higher water flows we are drifting and fishing from the boat
using a “heavy nymph rig” which is a 9 to 12-ft leader, strike indicator,
split shot, and dual fly rig. The higher water limits the areas that
you can wade so drifting can be more productive. We have been seeing
a bunch of fish feeding on the surface eating midges and black flies;
these fish are very selective but can be tough.
The
current fish population is better than we have seen in many years
with several different year classes present in good numbers and all
in perfect physical condition. 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 in June. 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 caught fish size has decreased;
the river is still chock-full of big fish but the challenge is getting
your fly past the smaller, and not so smart 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 rose
more than 30-ft in 2009 which is good news for the fishing 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 a healthy trout population and good fishing
will continue for the next several years.
LAKE
MEAD –The
Lake Mead water level has risen slightly. The current level is around
1,097 feet above msl. The striper bite has been slow. If you want
to find the stripers, look for shad on your fish finder. They should
be in 40-50 feet deep. The stripers are usually underneath them in
60-70 feet. Trolling may be your best bet.
Launching
conditions at South Cove will remain fair. 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.
LAKE
MOHAVE – The lake level is around 639 feet above msl. Trolling
with anchovies in 30-50ft has been producing stripers, while catfish
are on the bottom.
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.
WILLOW
BEACH - Trout are stocked every Friday. Fishing is usually
best immediately following the stocking.
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.
TOPOCK
MARSH –The water level
is down for the winter. Fishing has been 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.
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.
COLORADO
RIVER BELOW DAVIS DAM – Rainbow trout are stocked by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife service monthly. The next scheduled stocking
is for January 19th. The fish are stocked in two locations; Davis Camp
and near The Riverside. Trout fishing at the stocking sites is great
immediately following the stockings, then the fish move out and you
need to find them. Anglers typically report catching trout on the
Arizona side across from the Riverside and off the shore of Davis Camp.
USFWS will be stocking trout once a month from October until March.
Remember to fish for trout, you need a trout stamp on Class A and Lifetime
fishing licenses. Community Park is good place for the morning fishing.
Anchovies work best for catching stripers, but you may also catch catfish
and trout.
The
water level will go up later in the day, but it will drop after sunset.
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.
OTHER
WAYS TO GET THE FISHING REPORT:
Internet Home Page www.azgfd.com
