Roosevelt Lake

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HOLEINTHEWATERDAVE

HOLEINTHEWATERDAVE

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WENT SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. CAN'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME I WAS SKUNKED. TIM CAUGHT 1 BASS AND 6 CATS. THE WEATHER WAS GREAT, JUST TOOK MY POINT AND SHOOT CAMERA, PICTURES ARE SOSO.
42/DAVEMCCALL1234/ROOSEVELETT%20%2011-12-16/PB120008.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

 
I've heard a lot of Phoenix area anglers complaining about poor fishing at Roosevelt for several years now. There seems to be a problem there. :(

Ed Gerdemann
 
"I've heard a lot of Phoenix area anglers complaining"
My family started going to Roosevelt in the late 80's when the stripers wiped out the crappie population of Lake Powell. Fishing was great for almost 10 years, but the lake became a victim of its own success. Too much fishing pressure and no crappie limit(until summer 2013) have played a significant role in their decline in numbers. As far as habitat is concerned, Roosevelt is similar to Lake Powell with very little brush/structure around much of the lake. There are area's where structure is present(Tonto Creek inlet), but it's difficult fishing with lots of hangups, and significant competition for space with other anglers. It's a beautiful spot for spring/fall camping, but I'd avoid Spring Break(3 weeks in the spring). Amateur fishing is pretty tough, we didn't even take our rods this spring. Lake Powell has again reclaimed its supremacy to Roosevelt for fishing/camping/climate in my opinion. We still visit Roosevelt occasionally to visit my grandmother who winters in Tonto Basin, but we seldom take our rods(she has a boat ready should the need arise). I'm sure Wayne could straighten out that situation in only a couple of seasons.
 
I remember some of the best crappie fishing that I have ever had at rosy, even won the az. Crappie derby back in 2000. But the last few years have been really tough. I usually go to Bartlett or Alamo now for my crappie fix. I hope the Florida strain bass help, but I would like to see them stock walleye there. I don't know if it would help or hurt the fishery but they have put them in the lower lakes. Still any day on Roosevelt just watching the Eagles fish is a good day in my book.
 
HOLEINTHEWATERDAVE said:
Low water, catching and keeping pressure and gizzard shad what a lot people think. They planted Florida strain bass in there the last couple years. AZG&F did a shocking serve weeks ago on cat fish. Still a lot of big Flatheads in the lake.
http://www.fishaz.org/a-day-in-the-field/roosevelt-lake-flathead-catfish
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I would think a combination of low water and high fishing pressure might be the main culprit. When the dam was raised and the lake came up over a lot of new brushy cover it was thought Roosevelt would be at least as good if not better than Lake Pleasant was for the first several years after that new dam went in, however this does not appear to be the case. What I find curious is back in the 80s and 90s I heard a lot about the big smallmouths that were in Roosevelt (the Arizona state record was caught there), but I've heard virtually nothing about smallmouths there for many years.

I never fished there all that much and did not experience great fishing there when I did. In fact, it was after getting caught there in a 145-boat tournament in 1999 that I began to consider buying property near Page and fishing Lake Powell full time. Two weeks after that Roosevelt trip my friend Dale Marenda and I went to Alamo where we got got in a 65-boat Arizona tournament (All Star Bass) and two 30-boat California tournaments. The bass boat traffic was so bad I couldn't motor from one side of the lake to other in the big part of the lake. I had to go down to where the lake narrows near the dam to cross it in safety. That was insane. A week later my wife and I went to Page, found a mobile home in Greenehaven and made an offer. The rest is history! Powell today is a much better overall fishing lake than Roosevelt ever was. While Roosevelt was probably better for largemouths and crappies, it has never had a fishery like Powell's striper and smallmouth fisheries. I'm glad we did what we did because I don't think I would have enjoyed fishing any of the other local waters like I have enjoyed fishing Powell. :)

Ed Gerdemann
 
Edward Gerdemann said:
I would think a combination of low water and high fishing pressure might be the main culprit. When the dam was raised and the lake came up over a lot of new brushy cover it was thought Roosevelt would be at least as good if not better than Lake Pleasant was for the first several years after that new dam went in, however this does not appear to be the case. What I find curious is back in the 80s and 90s I heard a lot about the big smallmouths that were in Roosevelt (the Arizona state record was caught there), but I've heard virtually nothing about smallmouths there for many years.

I never fished there all that much and did not experience great fishing there when I did. In fact, it was after getting caught there in a 145-boat tournament in 1999 that I began to consider buying property near Page and fishing Lake Powell full time. Two weeks after that Roosevelt trip my friend Dale Marenda and I went to Alamo where we got got in a 65-boat Arizona tournament (All Star Bass) and two 30-boat California tournaments. The bass boat traffic was so bad I couldn't motor from one side of the lake to other in the big part of the lake. I had to go down to where the lake narrows near the dam to cross it in safety. That was insane. A week later my wife and I went to Page, found a mobile home in Greenehaven and made an offer. The rest is history! Powell today is a much better overall fishing lake than Roosevelt ever was. While Roosevelt was probably better for largemouths and crappies, it has never had a fishery like Powell's striper and smallmouth fisheries. I'm glad we did what we did because I don't think I would have enjoyed fishing any of the other local waters like I have enjoyed fishing Powell. :)

Ed Gerdemann
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I get what you mean about the tournaments, that picture of the eagle swimming was during a tournament and we flanked it until it made to shore as there were many boats running 60+mpr that day.
 
HOLEINTHEWATERDAVE said:
when you have 5 to 10 fish day on the local lakes you had a great day. when we only catch 30 fish at Powell, things are slow.
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Boy, that's so true! I thought fishing my last two trips this fall was a bit slow, but we were still averaging 30 plus fish per day. I doubt that even expert tournament anglers could do that consistently on Roosevelt, Bartlett, Pleasant or Alamo. Powell is a pretty special fishery. :D

Ed Gerdemann
 
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