LAKE POWELL FISHING FORECAST - SUMMER 2004
Fishing success this Spring at Lake Powell was some of the best in recent memory. Striped bass, smallmouth bass, walleye and catfish were in great physical shape with all species being bigger, fatter and stronger. All game species were enjoying the afterglow of a huge shad forage fish crop in 2003.
Now attention is shifted to the new shad crop just being spawned. Another banner shad year will be unprecedented. If, in fact, shad survive at a high rate then bass and stripers will grow to the next level. These prospects are almost scary. Stripers and smallmouth exist in very high numbers. If they grow larger still, then fishing success at Lake Powell would rival or outclass any fishing hole in America.
More likely there will be a decent shad year but not abundance. Game fish will then maintain their current good size and condition. Fewer shad than last year will make game fish hungrier and easier to catch. The end result will be some of the finest fishing ever experienced in scenic Lake Powell.
Expect a short lull in catching during early June as water levels and temperatures rise. Summer will bring stability and better fishing. Then shad will grow and move out of the muddy water in the backs of canyons and coves to open water where game fish will "boil" as they trap the new shad crop on the surface. Small shad are poor swimmers, so early boils will be little more than a "slurp" as yearling stripers line up shoulder to shoulder and swim with open mouths as they mow the shad crop from the surface.
As shad grow larger then adult stripers join the fray and swim faster and work harder to keep shad schools boxed in. These boils will be more violent and easier for anglers to find. Stripers drive shad schools against shore where smallmouth bass and walleye wait with open mouths for the striper train to arrive. Expect boils to occur very early each morning and to comprise the most common method of finding bass and stripers this summer.
When stripers boil they can be most effectively caught with surface lures like Zara Spooks and Jumpin' Minnows. When not actively boiling open-water stripers can be located by trolling Shad Raps, Wally Divers, and Thundersticks across the ends of prominent points. Smallmouth bass feed near rocky structure. The best rocks are those with a shad school close by. Catch bass on plastic tubes and grubs. White and silver plastic baits will work when shad are present. During the day bass eat crayfish and can be caught on green and brown colored plastic lures.
Anchovy bait has not worked well lately. Abundant shad have stripers craving only live fish. The exception is at night when plankton, shad and stripers can be attracted by a floating light. Then night-feeding stripers may inhale anchovy bait fished at 40-60 feet. Night fishing lets anglers avoid the day time heat and crowds. Some of the largest catches of stripers are taken at night during the summer months.
It seems there is a favored lake location for best summer fishing. Last year stripers began boiling in Bullfrog Bay and continued for most of the summer. The year before it was at Hite. Angler reports will soon pinpoint the epicenter of activity. Those reports will be compiled on www.wayneswords.com where current information can be found for planning an upcoming fishing trip.
Enjoy fishing at Lake Powell this summer. We are currently living the "good old days" by which all other fishing experiences will be rated.
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3586
Water Temperature: 65-72 F
Rising water has flooded launch ramps at Bullfrog, Antelope Point and Wahweap Stateline. Caution is still recommended because water is just barely deep enough to float boats at Stateline ramp and the end of Antelope Point Ramp has a severe drop off. Halls, Bullfrog and Main Wahweap Ramp have excellent launching conditions. Use common sense and exercise patience and launching access and parking will be a breeze for the next month.
Windy weather has hampered fishing results for the past week. The return of stable weather will mark better fishing success. When environmental conditions conspire to shut off fishing success it seems that the areas of lighter fishing pressure still produce some good catches. The San Juan and Good Hope areas may be the best places to try this week. Do not fish upstream of the mud line. Expect good results on the clear water side of the slug of runoff water.
Smallmouth bass spawning is complete and fishing has slowed. Bass have moved off shallow points and rock-strewn humps and dropped over the edge into deeper water. Locate bass by finding old shallow nest sites and looking for the nearest rock features in water 15-25 feet deep. Bass have moved deeper but not far horizontally from the nest site. Bass will restore body reserves lost to the spawning process by feeding on sunfish, shad and crayfish. Bass fishing will improve as water continues to warms, the lake stabilizes and bass become firmly entrenched in summer patterns. Until then try a split shot rig with a plastic grub at the 25-foot contour for steady results. Smaller yearling bass are ever present in shallow rocks next to shore.
Shad will spawn at first light each morning. Predator activity will be geared to shad spawning and movements. Fish very early for best results. Afternoon and evening will mark another activity period for both bass and stripers.
Last week all mature stripers handled had ripe eggs. This week mature females were spent. Spawning was completed for many stripers in the lower lake. While more spawning may occur, especially uplake, most stripers will now move in search of food instead of being governed by spawning considerations. Schools have been sighted near the dam. These fish will begin moving back up the main channel and toward the back of the canyons where shad reside. This will be a good week to try anchovy bait near the dam and power plant intake.
Stripers were caught in big numbers on jigging spoons just north of Buoy 99 in the main channel above Bullfrog.
Stripers hit the surface as shad spawn at first light in the morning. After the initial surface flurry Stripers may be located by trolling points and coves. Usually bigger fish are on outside main channel points and small stripers are in the backs of coves near shad. Please keep all stripers less than 16 inches.
Fishing is unreliable right now as fish move and adjust to changing conditions. Results range from great success to a long day of enjoying the scenery. But fishing at Lake Powell is always a delight even when catching is a bit slow.
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3585
Water Temperature: 64-72 F
It's transition time! Water is rising in elevation and temperature. Bass spawning is almost over while shad and striper spawning is just beginning. Fishing is still good but different from the incredible success of weeks past. Rising water ensures that all lower and midlake launch ramps will be in operation before Memorial Day.
Bass have left the shallow nest sites and dropped over the edge to forage in deeper water. The rigors of spawning have made them hungry for shad and crayfish. Shad are found toward the backs of canyons at 20-30 feet except for early morning hours when they spawn on the surface. Crayfish are under broken rocks. Fish for bass on secondary points in canyons where shad are found or on primary points in bays. Work plastic baits quickly down 45-degree sloping rocky points. Concentrate on the 20-30 foot depths for best results. Fish the 25-foot contour for 1.5 pound smallmouth. Smaller yearling bass are ever present in shallow rocks next to shore. Bass are being caught from Wahweap to Good Hope and in the San Juan and Escalante. Soft plastic baits are the most versatile terminal gear. Grubs and tubes can be fished in shallow rocks and deeper strata. Bass consistently found at 25 feet may be caught most effectively on drop shot rigs. Use white or other shad colors in locations where shad are holding.
Striped bass are wide spread from the backs of canyons to main channel. They are torn between feeding on shad in the canyon or running to current for spawning purposes. With such a wide range of choices it is best to cover as much water as possible by trolling. Use diving shad lures on 12-17 pound test monofilament trolled at 3 mph. Select trolling spots carefully. Stripers are found on main points where males stage waiting for females to spawn. Troll across a point and then run to the next point instead of just trolling the entire bay or canyon. When a striper is caught turn and try to get another. When the point quits producing - leave it and then return an hour later to catch more fish. Fish a circuit of points in a big bay to catch a few fish from each point. Persistent trolling pays off in a good bunch of stripers by the end of the day.
Juvenile stripers are eating plankton in the backs of coves and canyons. They are very catchable on wallydivers, Yozuri Crystal minnows, Shad raps and rattletraps. Just troll to the back of the side canyon. The main flood plain is not as productive as a cove off the main stem. When a fish is caught cast to that area to catch more. Return time after time to catch as many young stripers as possible. Please harvest as many 12-inch stripers as possible. They will have a tremendous impact on shad numbers during the next month as young shad try to survive the first week of life. It would be better for the fishery if shad were allowed to grow to a larger size before being consumed. Removing the most effective larval fish predators will allow better utilization of limited shad numbers.
Stripers are hitting the surface as shad spawn at first light in the morning. The San Juan has a strong surface bite going on now that persists longer than at most other places. Use top water and shallow cranks or jerk baits early in the morning and then start trolling after the sun hits the water anywhere in Lake Powell.
Expect a striper spawn as soon as the afternoon wind quits blowing. Water temperature must spike above 70 during the day and then maintain into the evening to trigger spawning. Striper females wait patiently for the environmental trigger and then move in with impatient males that have been staging on prominent points since April waiting for the females to arrive. That time is close. Trolling long points at dusk is the best way to find that big spawning school.
CAUTION: If you find them you may not be able to leave. It will be way too much fun!
Lake Elevation: 3583
Water Temperature: 63-67 F
Runoff has started. The lake is beginning to rise which is good news for those waiting for launch ramps to get back into full operation. Expect all launch ramps to have enough flooded concrete for great access by Memorial Day or before.
Rising water spells the end to sight fishing for spawning bass. As water marches higher the shoreline moves away from stationary bass nests leaving them far from shore. While male bass still linger the nest is no longer readily visible and sight fishing is no more. You just have to fish for bass again. Females move to feeding stations near rock structure. The breaking edge of rocks will become better bass-catching habitat and shallow sand will decline in importance. This will be a gradual transition over the next two weeks.
I really like fishing this time of year as many species of fish are moving and searching for food in the same areas. It is often possible to catch bass, stripers, sunfish, crappie, walleye and catfish using the same lure on a single stretch of shoreline. Single or double-tail plastic grubs, and/or shad imitating crank baits are extremely effective for very aggressive game fish.
During this year of abundant shad perhaps the most important key is the shad spawn. All game fish are searching for shad, which spawn at first light in the backs of canyons and coves around floating debris and shoreline vegetation. Shad eggs are adhesive and stick to the first object touched after fertilization. The shad spawn dominates all other variables and is the best key for finding game fish. Target the ends of canyons that contain off-colored water and show rooted brush or wind-rowed tumbleweeds. Be there at first light and enjoy the spectacle for the first two hours of daylight. Be prepared for a decline in activity from 7-10 AM. Normally productive fishing hours find game fish finished chasing shad and quite dormant. It may be afternoon or evening before shad-eating fish become active again.
Striped bass are the ultimate shad-seekers. Expect to find stripers herding shad as the predawn morning sky lightens. Top water and shallow running shad baits are very effective early on adults. Stripers feed quickly and efficiently on spawning shad. Big stripers will be obvious as they roll, splash and chase from 5-7 AM (MST) and almost invisible after that time. They become active again at dusk especially on warm calm nights when striper spawning may occur. (See description in last weeks fish report below).
Young stripers have become active and will save the day. They can be caught all day long in the same shallow murky water where shad spawn. Find them by trolling and casting vibrating shad baits like rattletraps. Once located a school is quite stationary and multiple stripers can be caught from each school. While yearlings are only 12 inches long they are perhaps the most voracious predators of young shad. They eat thousands of shad larvae and may even boil on small shad during the next two weeks. Catch and keep as many young stripers as possible. That will allow newly hatched shad to grow larger and provide more forage for the many adult bass and stripers that comprise the majority of game fish this spring.
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3582
Water Temperature: 64-72 F
Rapid warming has pushed the lake surface temperature into the 70's. Lake-spawning stripers patiently wait for this environmental trigger. Expect stripers to spawn this week. If lucky enough to find a spawning school it is possible to experience some of the most amazing fishing imaginable.
Picture a huge school of mature stripers (3-60 pounds). They are all active and willing to hit lures while aggressively searching for spawning partners. The school is large and stationary. Each lure cast into the spawning cove brings a hit. The activity can last for hours. I suggest using a single hook to prevent injury to the angler after dark. A large (3/4-ounce) white or chartreuse jig with a plastic grub trailer is a good choice.
Spawning happens at night but the spawning school can be located at dusk. Sometimes the spawning group of stripers is close to the surface. They will roll and splash and can be seen while cruising near shore. More often the males are staged on long points and can be caught while long-line trolling across points. Locate the school of males at dusk and then fish that cove at night after the females join the group. While the spawning school is huge the number of spawning schools is few. Actually finding the school is a singular experience that should be cherished.
I suggest an overnight camping trip if pursuing the elusive spawning school. Running long distances after dark at Lake Powell is not advised unless traveling the main channel. Know the fishing area and scout it thoroughly in daylight so an underwater reef does not spoil the prop and the trip. Expect to find lake-spawning schools near Warm Creek (Cottonwood Arm), Navajo Canyon, Padre Canyon, Last Chance (half way back in clear water), Dry Rock Creek, Dangling Rope, Mountain Sheep Canyon, Rincon, Bullfrog Bay, Moki Canyon, and Good Hope Bay.
Smallmouth bass responded to warming by spawning one more time. Males are actively guarding nests and females are staged near by. Prime habitat is long sandy sloping points and coves. The cliffs, rocks and shoals fished during summer are not as good. Smaller immature fish will be on the rocks and active early and late. The bigger fish are on SAND concentrated near the one or two rock piles on a sandy point. Spawning bass can readily be seen. The water has gone down a few inches so most nests are only 2-3 feet deep. Sight fishing is the most productive method. Look in sandy coves and on top of shallow rocky ridges for bass nests. Fish in coves where temperature is warmer than the main lake. We fished 67-degree water yesterday without much luck. Then we found a shallow sandy cove where water temperature was over 70 and the bass fishing was awesome. We saw a basking school of stripers in the warm shallows of the same cove. This cove may be the sight of striper spawning this week. Similar coves with a southeast exposure were all good fishing for spawning bass and may be potential striper spawning coves.
Sight fishing for bass will only last one more week. Warmer days that have caused the good fishing will also bring the runoff. The rapid rise will cover the nests with more water, decrease visibility and the bass spawn will be over. Then bass will move back to the shoals, reefs and vertical habitat of summer.
Walleye are being caught with regularity on standard bass fishing tackle in the upper lake. If walleye are your target then go to Halls/Bullfrog and fish upstream. There are not as many walleye caught by anglers fishing out of the lower lake marinas.
Fishing success this Spring at Lake Powell was some of the best in recent memory. Striped bass, smallmouth bass, walleye and catfish were in great physical shape with all species being bigger, fatter and stronger. All game species were enjoying the afterglow of a huge shad forage fish crop in 2003.
Now attention is shifted to the new shad crop just being spawned. Another banner shad year will be unprecedented. If, in fact, shad survive at a high rate then bass and stripers will grow to the next level. These prospects are almost scary. Stripers and smallmouth exist in very high numbers. If they grow larger still, then fishing success at Lake Powell would rival or outclass any fishing hole in America.
More likely there will be a decent shad year but not abundance. Game fish will then maintain their current good size and condition. Fewer shad than last year will make game fish hungrier and easier to catch. The end result will be some of the finest fishing ever experienced in scenic Lake Powell.
Expect a short lull in catching during early June as water levels and temperatures rise. Summer will bring stability and better fishing. Then shad will grow and move out of the muddy water in the backs of canyons and coves to open water where game fish will "boil" as they trap the new shad crop on the surface. Small shad are poor swimmers, so early boils will be little more than a "slurp" as yearling stripers line up shoulder to shoulder and swim with open mouths as they mow the shad crop from the surface.
As shad grow larger then adult stripers join the fray and swim faster and work harder to keep shad schools boxed in. These boils will be more violent and easier for anglers to find. Stripers drive shad schools against shore where smallmouth bass and walleye wait with open mouths for the striper train to arrive. Expect boils to occur very early each morning and to comprise the most common method of finding bass and stripers this summer.
When stripers boil they can be most effectively caught with surface lures like Zara Spooks and Jumpin' Minnows. When not actively boiling open-water stripers can be located by trolling Shad Raps, Wally Divers, and Thundersticks across the ends of prominent points. Smallmouth bass feed near rocky structure. The best rocks are those with a shad school close by. Catch bass on plastic tubes and grubs. White and silver plastic baits will work when shad are present. During the day bass eat crayfish and can be caught on green and brown colored plastic lures.
Anchovy bait has not worked well lately. Abundant shad have stripers craving only live fish. The exception is at night when plankton, shad and stripers can be attracted by a floating light. Then night-feeding stripers may inhale anchovy bait fished at 40-60 feet. Night fishing lets anglers avoid the day time heat and crowds. Some of the largest catches of stripers are taken at night during the summer months.
It seems there is a favored lake location for best summer fishing. Last year stripers began boiling in Bullfrog Bay and continued for most of the summer. The year before it was at Hite. Angler reports will soon pinpoint the epicenter of activity. Those reports will be compiled on www.wayneswords.com where current information can be found for planning an upcoming fishing trip.
Enjoy fishing at Lake Powell this summer. We are currently living the "good old days" by which all other fishing experiences will be rated.
LAKE POWELL FISH REPORT
MAY 27, 2004
MAY 27, 2004
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3586
Water Temperature: 65-72 F
Rising water has flooded launch ramps at Bullfrog, Antelope Point and Wahweap Stateline. Caution is still recommended because water is just barely deep enough to float boats at Stateline ramp and the end of Antelope Point Ramp has a severe drop off. Halls, Bullfrog and Main Wahweap Ramp have excellent launching conditions. Use common sense and exercise patience and launching access and parking will be a breeze for the next month.
Windy weather has hampered fishing results for the past week. The return of stable weather will mark better fishing success. When environmental conditions conspire to shut off fishing success it seems that the areas of lighter fishing pressure still produce some good catches. The San Juan and Good Hope areas may be the best places to try this week. Do not fish upstream of the mud line. Expect good results on the clear water side of the slug of runoff water.
Smallmouth bass spawning is complete and fishing has slowed. Bass have moved off shallow points and rock-strewn humps and dropped over the edge into deeper water. Locate bass by finding old shallow nest sites and looking for the nearest rock features in water 15-25 feet deep. Bass have moved deeper but not far horizontally from the nest site. Bass will restore body reserves lost to the spawning process by feeding on sunfish, shad and crayfish. Bass fishing will improve as water continues to warms, the lake stabilizes and bass become firmly entrenched in summer patterns. Until then try a split shot rig with a plastic grub at the 25-foot contour for steady results. Smaller yearling bass are ever present in shallow rocks next to shore.
Shad will spawn at first light each morning. Predator activity will be geared to shad spawning and movements. Fish very early for best results. Afternoon and evening will mark another activity period for both bass and stripers.
Last week all mature stripers handled had ripe eggs. This week mature females were spent. Spawning was completed for many stripers in the lower lake. While more spawning may occur, especially uplake, most stripers will now move in search of food instead of being governed by spawning considerations. Schools have been sighted near the dam. These fish will begin moving back up the main channel and toward the back of the canyons where shad reside. This will be a good week to try anchovy bait near the dam and power plant intake.
Stripers were caught in big numbers on jigging spoons just north of Buoy 99 in the main channel above Bullfrog.
Stripers hit the surface as shad spawn at first light in the morning. After the initial surface flurry Stripers may be located by trolling points and coves. Usually bigger fish are on outside main channel points and small stripers are in the backs of coves near shad. Please keep all stripers less than 16 inches.
Fishing is unreliable right now as fish move and adjust to changing conditions. Results range from great success to a long day of enjoying the scenery. But fishing at Lake Powell is always a delight even when catching is a bit slow.
LAKE POWELL FISH REPORT
MAY 20, 2004
MAY 20, 2004
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3585
Water Temperature: 64-72 F
It's transition time! Water is rising in elevation and temperature. Bass spawning is almost over while shad and striper spawning is just beginning. Fishing is still good but different from the incredible success of weeks past. Rising water ensures that all lower and midlake launch ramps will be in operation before Memorial Day.
Bass have left the shallow nest sites and dropped over the edge to forage in deeper water. The rigors of spawning have made them hungry for shad and crayfish. Shad are found toward the backs of canyons at 20-30 feet except for early morning hours when they spawn on the surface. Crayfish are under broken rocks. Fish for bass on secondary points in canyons where shad are found or on primary points in bays. Work plastic baits quickly down 45-degree sloping rocky points. Concentrate on the 20-30 foot depths for best results. Fish the 25-foot contour for 1.5 pound smallmouth. Smaller yearling bass are ever present in shallow rocks next to shore. Bass are being caught from Wahweap to Good Hope and in the San Juan and Escalante. Soft plastic baits are the most versatile terminal gear. Grubs and tubes can be fished in shallow rocks and deeper strata. Bass consistently found at 25 feet may be caught most effectively on drop shot rigs. Use white or other shad colors in locations where shad are holding.
Striped bass are wide spread from the backs of canyons to main channel. They are torn between feeding on shad in the canyon or running to current for spawning purposes. With such a wide range of choices it is best to cover as much water as possible by trolling. Use diving shad lures on 12-17 pound test monofilament trolled at 3 mph. Select trolling spots carefully. Stripers are found on main points where males stage waiting for females to spawn. Troll across a point and then run to the next point instead of just trolling the entire bay or canyon. When a striper is caught turn and try to get another. When the point quits producing - leave it and then return an hour later to catch more fish. Fish a circuit of points in a big bay to catch a few fish from each point. Persistent trolling pays off in a good bunch of stripers by the end of the day.
Juvenile stripers are eating plankton in the backs of coves and canyons. They are very catchable on wallydivers, Yozuri Crystal minnows, Shad raps and rattletraps. Just troll to the back of the side canyon. The main flood plain is not as productive as a cove off the main stem. When a fish is caught cast to that area to catch more. Return time after time to catch as many young stripers as possible. Please harvest as many 12-inch stripers as possible. They will have a tremendous impact on shad numbers during the next month as young shad try to survive the first week of life. It would be better for the fishery if shad were allowed to grow to a larger size before being consumed. Removing the most effective larval fish predators will allow better utilization of limited shad numbers.
Stripers are hitting the surface as shad spawn at first light in the morning. The San Juan has a strong surface bite going on now that persists longer than at most other places. Use top water and shallow cranks or jerk baits early in the morning and then start trolling after the sun hits the water anywhere in Lake Powell.
Expect a striper spawn as soon as the afternoon wind quits blowing. Water temperature must spike above 70 during the day and then maintain into the evening to trigger spawning. Striper females wait patiently for the environmental trigger and then move in with impatient males that have been staging on prominent points since April waiting for the females to arrive. That time is close. Trolling long points at dusk is the best way to find that big spawning school.
CAUTION: If you find them you may not be able to leave. It will be way too much fun!
LAKE POWELL FISH REPORT
MAY13, 2004
MAY13, 2004
Lake Elevation: 3583
Water Temperature: 63-67 F
Runoff has started. The lake is beginning to rise which is good news for those waiting for launch ramps to get back into full operation. Expect all launch ramps to have enough flooded concrete for great access by Memorial Day or before.
Rising water spells the end to sight fishing for spawning bass. As water marches higher the shoreline moves away from stationary bass nests leaving them far from shore. While male bass still linger the nest is no longer readily visible and sight fishing is no more. You just have to fish for bass again. Females move to feeding stations near rock structure. The breaking edge of rocks will become better bass-catching habitat and shallow sand will decline in importance. This will be a gradual transition over the next two weeks.
I really like fishing this time of year as many species of fish are moving and searching for food in the same areas. It is often possible to catch bass, stripers, sunfish, crappie, walleye and catfish using the same lure on a single stretch of shoreline. Single or double-tail plastic grubs, and/or shad imitating crank baits are extremely effective for very aggressive game fish.
During this year of abundant shad perhaps the most important key is the shad spawn. All game fish are searching for shad, which spawn at first light in the backs of canyons and coves around floating debris and shoreline vegetation. Shad eggs are adhesive and stick to the first object touched after fertilization. The shad spawn dominates all other variables and is the best key for finding game fish. Target the ends of canyons that contain off-colored water and show rooted brush or wind-rowed tumbleweeds. Be there at first light and enjoy the spectacle for the first two hours of daylight. Be prepared for a decline in activity from 7-10 AM. Normally productive fishing hours find game fish finished chasing shad and quite dormant. It may be afternoon or evening before shad-eating fish become active again.
Striped bass are the ultimate shad-seekers. Expect to find stripers herding shad as the predawn morning sky lightens. Top water and shallow running shad baits are very effective early on adults. Stripers feed quickly and efficiently on spawning shad. Big stripers will be obvious as they roll, splash and chase from 5-7 AM (MST) and almost invisible after that time. They become active again at dusk especially on warm calm nights when striper spawning may occur. (See description in last weeks fish report below).
Young stripers have become active and will save the day. They can be caught all day long in the same shallow murky water where shad spawn. Find them by trolling and casting vibrating shad baits like rattletraps. Once located a school is quite stationary and multiple stripers can be caught from each school. While yearlings are only 12 inches long they are perhaps the most voracious predators of young shad. They eat thousands of shad larvae and may even boil on small shad during the next two weeks. Catch and keep as many young stripers as possible. That will allow newly hatched shad to grow larger and provide more forage for the many adult bass and stripers that comprise the majority of game fish this spring.
LAKE POWELL FISH REPORT
MAY 6, 2004
MAY 6, 2004
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3582
Water Temperature: 64-72 F
Rapid warming has pushed the lake surface temperature into the 70's. Lake-spawning stripers patiently wait for this environmental trigger. Expect stripers to spawn this week. If lucky enough to find a spawning school it is possible to experience some of the most amazing fishing imaginable.
Picture a huge school of mature stripers (3-60 pounds). They are all active and willing to hit lures while aggressively searching for spawning partners. The school is large and stationary. Each lure cast into the spawning cove brings a hit. The activity can last for hours. I suggest using a single hook to prevent injury to the angler after dark. A large (3/4-ounce) white or chartreuse jig with a plastic grub trailer is a good choice.
Spawning happens at night but the spawning school can be located at dusk. Sometimes the spawning group of stripers is close to the surface. They will roll and splash and can be seen while cruising near shore. More often the males are staged on long points and can be caught while long-line trolling across points. Locate the school of males at dusk and then fish that cove at night after the females join the group. While the spawning school is huge the number of spawning schools is few. Actually finding the school is a singular experience that should be cherished.
I suggest an overnight camping trip if pursuing the elusive spawning school. Running long distances after dark at Lake Powell is not advised unless traveling the main channel. Know the fishing area and scout it thoroughly in daylight so an underwater reef does not spoil the prop and the trip. Expect to find lake-spawning schools near Warm Creek (Cottonwood Arm), Navajo Canyon, Padre Canyon, Last Chance (half way back in clear water), Dry Rock Creek, Dangling Rope, Mountain Sheep Canyon, Rincon, Bullfrog Bay, Moki Canyon, and Good Hope Bay.
Smallmouth bass responded to warming by spawning one more time. Males are actively guarding nests and females are staged near by. Prime habitat is long sandy sloping points and coves. The cliffs, rocks and shoals fished during summer are not as good. Smaller immature fish will be on the rocks and active early and late. The bigger fish are on SAND concentrated near the one or two rock piles on a sandy point. Spawning bass can readily be seen. The water has gone down a few inches so most nests are only 2-3 feet deep. Sight fishing is the most productive method. Look in sandy coves and on top of shallow rocky ridges for bass nests. Fish in coves where temperature is warmer than the main lake. We fished 67-degree water yesterday without much luck. Then we found a shallow sandy cove where water temperature was over 70 and the bass fishing was awesome. We saw a basking school of stripers in the warm shallows of the same cove. This cove may be the sight of striper spawning this week. Similar coves with a southeast exposure were all good fishing for spawning bass and may be potential striper spawning coves.
Sight fishing for bass will only last one more week. Warmer days that have caused the good fishing will also bring the runoff. The rapid rise will cover the nests with more water, decrease visibility and the bass spawn will be over. Then bass will move back to the shoals, reefs and vertical habitat of summer.
Walleye are being caught with regularity on standard bass fishing tackle in the upper lake. If walleye are your target then go to Halls/Bullfrog and fish upstream. There are not as many walleye caught by anglers fishing out of the lower lake marinas.