LAKE POWELL: LAKE POWELL By Wayne Gustaveson, Utah Division of Wildlife. Lake Powell
continues to rise a foot per week. The fill rate will increase when warm weather
finally releases the snow pack in the mountains. There has been one cold front
per week for what seems like forever. Warming and cooling have fragmented bass
spawning. Some spawned early and some late but the big event was a no show in
2008.
The positive aspect of the blustery weather is that striped bass are still
holding in the main channel in large numbers. They have their nose turned into
the slight current waiting for warming to trigger spawning. While there, they
are easy targets for bait anglers. Graph along the edge of the channel at first
light in the morning. When a school is found a bit of chum will ignite the
school into a morning feeding frenzy. Most fish will be between 1-3 pounds but
fishing is intense for the first hour of the day.
When the sun hits
the water fishing changes to spurts of activity flowed by slow periods. The
school can take off feeding again anytime. If a good spot was found in the
morning expect fish to return there during the day. It helps to have a few spots
in mind to keep trying during the day to maximize the catch.
Just a slight ledge or small rock slide may be enough to hold a large school
of stripers. While stripers are still being caught at the dam it seems more fish
are found from Buoy 1 to the mouth of Antelope, from the power plant intake to
Buoy 9, and in Navajo Canyon. Further uplake stripers are next caught at the
mouth of Last Chance and then uplake to Lake Canyon, mouth of Halls Creek and
Moki Canyon. I am sure there are many more spots just as good. Look at the
features characterizing a historically good fishing spot and try similar areas
in other parts of the lake to find your own private fishing hole.
Runoff has muddied the water down to Good Hope Bay in the Colorado and to
Neskahi Bay in the San Juan. The backs of canyons are still fishable but avoid
the main channel further upstream in both arms of the lake.
Smallmouth bass become active with warming water. Afternoon fishing is best
after the lake has a chance to warm 3-5 degrees. If the temperature is 60 in the
morning expect bass to bite well when it reaches 65 degrees.
Bass are found midway back in the canyons. In slick rock canyons expect bass
to be on relatively scarce broken rock, ledges or around brush. In most canyons
look for a short drainage or submerged creek channel joining the main canyon.
These abrupt breaks are perfect spots for bass and walleye to ambush prey.
Always look for fish around color changes from brown to green and green to
clear. Factors that cause color changes also congregate fish in select
locations.
Cut intersecting Navajo Canyon is a good spot to fish for
bass.
