It has been an interesting year for fishing at Lake Powell. Stripers are hiding out more than usual. They are normally easy to find in most canyons on the lake. Recently they are harder to find. An occasional fish or two can be caught trolling between 20 and 40 feet in most canyons. But the big schools are harder to find on a daily basis. With water temperatures between 60 and 70 F, shallow coves are normally the striper hangout. But this year, for whatever reason, striper schools are deeper. Stripers are holding in deep water (60-80 feet). While fishing, watch the graph and be ready to drop a jigging spoon when a big school of stripers comes under the boat. Right now stripers are acting like it is winter and holding near the bottom.
The most commonly caught species of fish right now is largemouth bass. I have caught more largemouth bass this year than I have in my entire career at Lake Powell. Usually, I catch a few random largemouth by accident while fishing for other species. This year I have caught well over 200 largemouth while fishing for stripers, smallmouth and crappie. Most of the largemouth caught are smaller 8-12 inch fish. These fish hang out in the backs of coves with lots of brush. Find many small trees and shrubs in the back of a canyon and it is likely that largemouth bass will be ready and willing to hit plastic grubs, small crank baits and just about anything else you want to try. Bass fishing is awesome right now.
Smallmouth bass are performing as expected hanging out in the backs of rocky coves. Most of the bass and sunfish species have spawned or are actively preparing to spawn by building nests and guarding the newly hatched litter of fish. The southern lake is surprisingly clear and nests with guarding parents are easy to see in the backs of canyons from 5-30 feet deep. It is easy to cast a small jig or crankbait toward the nest and watch the guardian fish attack the lure. It is best to release the nest guarder so he can protect the youngsters as they hatch and then eventually leave the nest.
Another species caught more often than usual are walleye. It seems that every trip this year we catch a random walleye while fishing for other species. We have done well fishing for crappie during the first part of May while crappie were guarding nests in the backs of coves where brush and trees were located.
Fishing success has been awesome this spring in the southern lake and we have had great fishing reports from the north end as well. The lake is now beginning to rise and that will help with traveling uplake and down. Hopefully the lake will rise enough for the Castle Rock Cut to open. But that is yet to be determined.
The most commonly caught species of fish right now is largemouth bass. I have caught more largemouth bass this year than I have in my entire career at Lake Powell. Usually, I catch a few random largemouth by accident while fishing for other species. This year I have caught well over 200 largemouth while fishing for stripers, smallmouth and crappie. Most of the largemouth caught are smaller 8-12 inch fish. These fish hang out in the backs of coves with lots of brush. Find many small trees and shrubs in the back of a canyon and it is likely that largemouth bass will be ready and willing to hit plastic grubs, small crank baits and just about anything else you want to try. Bass fishing is awesome right now.
Smallmouth bass are performing as expected hanging out in the backs of rocky coves. Most of the bass and sunfish species have spawned or are actively preparing to spawn by building nests and guarding the newly hatched litter of fish. The southern lake is surprisingly clear and nests with guarding parents are easy to see in the backs of canyons from 5-30 feet deep. It is easy to cast a small jig or crankbait toward the nest and watch the guardian fish attack the lure. It is best to release the nest guarder so he can protect the youngsters as they hatch and then eventually leave the nest.
Another species caught more often than usual are walleye. It seems that every trip this year we catch a random walleye while fishing for other species. We have done well fishing for crappie during the first part of May while crappie were guarding nests in the backs of coves where brush and trees were located.
Fishing success has been awesome this spring in the southern lake and we have had great fishing reports from the north end as well. The lake is now beginning to rise and that will help with traveling uplake and down. Hopefully the lake will rise enough for the Castle Rock Cut to open. But that is yet to be determined.