Lake Powell Fish Report – July 31, 2019
Lake Elevation: 3621
Water temperature: 79-85 F
By: Wayne Gustaveson http://www.wayneswords.com or Wayneswords.net
Lake Powell is now holding steady at an elevation of 3621. Water entering the lake is equal to or slightly exceeds water going out. Expect the lake level to be steady for the next few weeks. Stability allows lake water clarity to increase as sediment falls out onto the lake bottom. Water visibility in the main channel at the mouth of Moki Canyon is about 7 feet. Just downstream from Good Hope Bay visibility is about 5 feet. Floating driftwood will be a problem in the northern lake and the backs of some canyons until the water level begins to decrease and strands the driftwood on shore.
We are quivering with anticipation while waiting for striper boils to begin. Slurps are diminishing. It is hard to catch a fish on top, because the slurp only lasts for 15-30 seconds. It is hard to make the approach in time to make a perfect cast and catch a striper. It is still possible to catch stripers on bait, with a good striper school reported just north of Tapestry Wall. Unfortunately, most of these stripers were thin. Fatter stripers responded to trolled lures further out into the channel.
The good news is that striper boil reports are starting to come in. A full-blown striper boil blew up and lasted for 30-minutes just before the first big turn in the San Juan Arm. There were boils reported in Red Canyon, as well. Another report came from Buoy 59 in the main channel. That boil was up and down for almost an hour. Once stripers go down they are still anxious to eat shad and will hit spoons really well when the school is seen on the graph under the boat. The best chance of finding boils occurs in the San Juan Arm and in Good Hope Bay and beyond. Expect the rest of the lake to boil in the coming weeks. August is the most consistent boil month. However, September is the most enjoyable with cooler weather and less boat traffic.
Bass fishing is still steady with main channel rockslides, and brushy areas along the shoreline being the most dependable spots to catch largemouth and smallmouth bass. Fishing for sunfish is steady near shore and brushy cover. Look in the back of brushy coves. It is possible to visually find sunfish in shallow coves and then catch them on tiny ice lies with a piece of worm attached. Bluegill may be one of the best tasting fish found in Lake Powell. Invite some to dinner and let us know your opinion.
The easiest big fish to catch is the channel catfish. They come into sandy beaches at dusk and search around all night for something to eat. Table scraps, night crawlers, or anchovies work well as bait. Just cast the bait behind the boat and wait for the catfish to find it. It should not take long.
There are always some fun fish to catch at Lake Powell. It is an amazing fishery!
Congratulations to Powell Bride for catching her personal best Largemouth Bass:
It is always fun to see some sneaky little otters along the shoreline.
Lake Elevation: 3621
Water temperature: 79-85 F
By: Wayne Gustaveson http://www.wayneswords.com or Wayneswords.net
Lake Powell is now holding steady at an elevation of 3621. Water entering the lake is equal to or slightly exceeds water going out. Expect the lake level to be steady for the next few weeks. Stability allows lake water clarity to increase as sediment falls out onto the lake bottom. Water visibility in the main channel at the mouth of Moki Canyon is about 7 feet. Just downstream from Good Hope Bay visibility is about 5 feet. Floating driftwood will be a problem in the northern lake and the backs of some canyons until the water level begins to decrease and strands the driftwood on shore.
We are quivering with anticipation while waiting for striper boils to begin. Slurps are diminishing. It is hard to catch a fish on top, because the slurp only lasts for 15-30 seconds. It is hard to make the approach in time to make a perfect cast and catch a striper. It is still possible to catch stripers on bait, with a good striper school reported just north of Tapestry Wall. Unfortunately, most of these stripers were thin. Fatter stripers responded to trolled lures further out into the channel.
The good news is that striper boil reports are starting to come in. A full-blown striper boil blew up and lasted for 30-minutes just before the first big turn in the San Juan Arm. There were boils reported in Red Canyon, as well. Another report came from Buoy 59 in the main channel. That boil was up and down for almost an hour. Once stripers go down they are still anxious to eat shad and will hit spoons really well when the school is seen on the graph under the boat. The best chance of finding boils occurs in the San Juan Arm and in Good Hope Bay and beyond. Expect the rest of the lake to boil in the coming weeks. August is the most consistent boil month. However, September is the most enjoyable with cooler weather and less boat traffic.
Bass fishing is still steady with main channel rockslides, and brushy areas along the shoreline being the most dependable spots to catch largemouth and smallmouth bass. Fishing for sunfish is steady near shore and brushy cover. Look in the back of brushy coves. It is possible to visually find sunfish in shallow coves and then catch them on tiny ice lies with a piece of worm attached. Bluegill may be one of the best tasting fish found in Lake Powell. Invite some to dinner and let us know your opinion.
The easiest big fish to catch is the channel catfish. They come into sandy beaches at dusk and search around all night for something to eat. Table scraps, night crawlers, or anchovies work well as bait. Just cast the bait behind the boat and wait for the catfish to find it. It should not take long.
There are always some fun fish to catch at Lake Powell. It is an amazing fishery!
Congratulations to Powell Bride for catching her personal best Largemouth Bass:
It is always fun to see some sneaky little otters along the shoreline.