Fishing heats up at Lake Powell

PAGE, Ariz. — Largemouth bass like brush. Smallmouth bass like broken rocks. Striped bass like to eat, pretty much anything and everything that has the slightest resemblance to food.

So, when fishing for bass in the water of Lake Powell, anglers should look for brush, broken rocks and food pantries, which could be in the back of narrow canyons or out in the center of large bays. Brush and broken rock, especially rock, can be found in Lake Powell. Underwater fish-food banks aren’t always easy to locate.

To have a successful fishing trip at Lake Powell, anglers should check out the cleaning stations and ask questions, inquire of those coming off the lake with rods and reels in their boat, return to past hotspots, or do what successful anglers in the past have done, which is check out the off-colored water in the back of canyons for shad. If none of those options work, try trolling in the main channel.

And, always remember the rule: If nothing is biting, move to a new location.

Anglers can also check out the weekly bulletin created by Wayne Gustaveson, DWR Lake Powell fish biologist for the past 41 years. The bulletin highlights lake conditions, fish patterns, recommends baits and lures and pinpoints hotspots. The bulletin is available online and printed copies are also available at Lake Powell marinas.

Gustaveson's early predictions this year suggest the striped bass fishing will be good, the smallmouth fishing excellent and the largemouth and crappie fishing limited. This is also expected to be a good year for walleye fishing. However, a lot will depends on this year’s threadfin shad spawn.

The lake’s predator populations depend greatly on the shad. Shad reproduction has been at peak levels for the past two years.

“It’s rare, however, we get three consecutive years of peak production, but it could happen,’’ Gustaveson said.

If it does happen, the large, 2-4 pound striped bass currently in large schools throughout the lake could gain a pound or two this summer, with the free-roaming maverick fish gaining even more. This would put a lot of 5- and 6-pound stripers in the lake “and that doesn’t happen that often, but the potential is there,’’ Gustaveson said.

“If we don’t have a peak year, we’ll have a lot of hungry striped bass that will be easy targets for bait fishermen,’’ he said.

Lake Powell is a land of water and rocks, both of which make for a perfect home for smallmouth bass— which makes them easy targets to passing lures. It's why the daily limit on smallmouth has been increased to 20 per day.

“And it’s a good idea (fishermen) harvest smallmouth between 10 and 12 inches because of the competition between fish and the possibility of stunting when numbers get too high,’’ Gustaveson said.

The story of largemouth and crappie is very different. Both prefer brushy habitat and at this winter’s water levels, there’s not much brush under water.

“We expect the water to come up around 25 feet this year," he said. "When it does, the water will cover the brush on the shore, which will make a good nursery habitat for young largemouth and crappie. This would mean good survival and better fishing in the future. Right now, there are a fair number of 14-inch largemouth and that’s a good thing. Both largemouth and crappie will respond to better habitat and will recover.’’

Walleye are in great numbers this year, so much so, that the limit has been removed.

“(Anglers) should be able to go to the northern sections of the lake, and places like Good Hope Bay in May, and catch all the walleye they want . . . 50, 60, 70 2 to 3-pound walleye a day,’’ Gustaveson said.

At other times of the year, walleye fishing is best in low-light conditions — early mornings and late evenings. In May, however, as waters warm quickly and food is not as readily available, walleye must feed during daylight hours and are more accessible.

One reason for high walleye production is the mistaken introduction of the gizzard shad, a favorite food of walleye, several years back. A federal hatchery mistakenly released the shad into a tributary that feeds Lake Powell and the shad have now established themselves.

Currently the lake is in a pre-spawn mode. Soon the largemouth and crappie will be building redds or nests in shallow water and will be more easily accessible to anglers. Anglers will actually be able to see fish around their nests.

Stripers and shad will start spawning in mid-May. When the shad spawn, Gustaveson said he'll be able to get a better idea about the future of the lake’s fish populations.

As for what to use for bass, Gustaveson suggests using green or watermelon colored lures, which resemble another popular meal — crayfish. This also makes a crayfish-imitating lure a good choice, as well as 4-inch Senkos and single-tail grubs. Red, orange and green crank baits have also worked well casting into rocky shoreline areas or on sloping points.

Those anglers who locate a school of stripers can try dropping a spoon and jig it in the area. Good baits are anchovies and worms.

Overall, Gustaveson expects spring fishing to be excellent, especially for striped bass and walleye.

As for the recently discovered quagga or zebra mussels, the current report says they are established in Lake Powell, and at this point, there’s little that can be done to control them. What is known is that quagga don’t like the sun, warm water temperatures or, apparently, the calcium buildups around the lake from the fluctuating water levels.

Boaters can use precautions by lifting engines out of the water when docked. Also, boaters are being asked to empty all water and let the boat sit for at least seven days to dry before launching in another body of water. Boaters can also contact the DWR officials for a free decontamination.

For more information on Lake Powell lodging, boat rentals, restaurants, tours and season specials, visit the resort website.

Ray Grass is a long time outdoor writer for the Deseret News and KSL.com. Contact him at grassfam@hotmail.com.

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