This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Lake Powell Fish Report - September 13, 2011Lake Elevation: 3654 Water Temperature 77-80 FBy: Wayne Gustaveson Lake Powell has gone quiet as game fish ready themselves for the big feeding spree that will break loose as soon as the lake level and water temperature drop just a bit more. Now many shad schools are swimming freely in the backs of virtually every cut and cove that has more than 10 trees sticking out of the water. Shad invariably reside in the biggest dense thicket of brush. Interspersed in the shallow brushy coves are young largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and sunfish. All is quiet as shad swim through the brush and coexist peacefully with small game fish that are too small to eat adult shad.Adult game fish including bass, stripers and walleye are in deeper water (exceeding 20 feet) where temperature is cooler and more agreeable to adult fish. There is much feeding going on at depth as each fish that is randomly caught is healthier than the last one. Striped bass and largemouth are in prime physical condition. They are growing and putting on weight each day. Anglers are waiting for sport fish to discover the abundant shad pantry that now exists in shallow water. The variables that control the highly anticipated event are weakening. Water temperature is the main key. It has fallen from the 80s down to 78F. Another few degrees and fishing will improve dramatically. The next variable is movement of deep forage fish into shallower water. When bass and stripers can no longer forage in deep water they will come shallow to feed. Declining lake level will help somewhat but the lake came up so far this spring that much brush exists from the current surface level down to 30 feet. That provides a huge amount of brush covered fish habitat in a lake where surface area increased so dramatically this summer. This explains why fishing is still challenging over the length of the lake. There are some bright spots. The main channel area lined with steep cliffs lacks abundant brush. Here shad and stripers interact in a more normal fashion with surface feeding boils randomly occurring. Boils have recently been reported from main channel Buoy 62 to 75. Boils from Hite to Good Hope have been thwarted by windy afternoons. That is likely to change any time there is a calm evening. No boils have been reported downstream from the mouth of the San Juan. The most encouraging news is that bass have moved closer to the surface. Bass fishing is good on plastic grubs on the rocky points extending in to the main channel and main bays. Lures must be fished in water deeper than 20 feet to catch bigger fish but fishing success for bass has gotten much better over the past week. Fall has arrived in the high desert surrounding Lake Powell. Nights are cool which will continue to drop surface temperature and heat up the catch rate. Good fishing is only a few days away now. I can't wait!
Photo: Timmy Woozley went fishing with his Grandpa Robert Morris at Lake Powell near Gunsight Canyon in Padre Bay. They caught a nice smallmouth bass and shared an unforgettable experience. Lake Powell is a great place to to teach kids how to fish.