August 24, 2006
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3604
Water Temp: 80-84 F
Striped bass are at the top of the roller coaster, heading down the first big hill. Excellent reproduction and survival have resulted in record numbers of big and small fish. It is possible that striped bass numbers are greater now than at any time during their 30 year residency in the lake. There is a great battle going on each day for the limited shad food source. Since the 10-15 inch stripers live in warm water with shad they have the competitive advantage over adults confined to cool water beneath the thermocline. . In a race for a shad big fish cannot beat the smaller, faster stripers. It's no contest. This overpopulation allows anglers to catch an unprecedented number of hungry fish. Every hotspot that has been mentioned this year is still producing stripers for bait fishermen on a daily basis. Most striper schools are congregated in the main channel near the mouth of a canyon. Find a prominent point that dives into deep water for consistent fishing success. Chum with anchovies to get the school active and eating and then catch and keep all fish possible. The striped bass population must be reduced to bring them into balance with available forage.

 

 

Fishing at the barricade in front of Glen Canyon Dam has picked up again. Other great spots are the mouth of Warm Creek, Padre Canyon, Rock Creek, Escalante main channel, Lake Canyon, Moki Wall, and Hansen Creek.

 

 

The only consistent boiling action is found near Hite between Buoys 133-134 in the afternoon.  Boils are present but inconsistent on the San Juan. 

 

 

 

Juvenile stripers increase in number from Bullfrog north. There seems to be an innumerable amount of fish from the surface to 20 feet. These 10-15 inch fish can be caught on every cast with anchovies, spoons and hard plastic baits.  Fishing is so quick for small fish that’s its hard to describe.  Many anglers are using heavy weights to get the bait down past the small fish so they can catch a bigger one.  If you like to catch lots of fish and size doesn’t matter then there is no better place to be than Bullfrog Bay and the canyons upstream.     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great bass fishing is almost unnoticed with all the striper catching. Fishing with plastic grubs at 20-25 feet is awesome. Use a quarter ounce jig head with a green plastic offering to catch bass up to 3 pounds. Target the breaking edge of rock structure where depth rapidly increases.  

Sunfish and catfish are readily taking live worms near shore.  Sunfish are in the brush and in the shade of boats while catfish are on the sandy bottom near camp.  

If you haven’t experienced the most amazing year for fishing success ever seen at Lake Powell, now would be a good time to give it a try. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Striped Bass Hot Spot Update. August 24, 2006

Dam – Fish the ledge on west side which coincides with barricade 3-4 and 5.  If those spots are taken go uplake. 

Corner as lake turns left (north) at Buoy 3.  Fish the shade line in the morning.

Power Plant Intake – (Construction boom on rim) Fish early before boat traffic starts.

Buoy 9 – Gently sloping outcropping near shore is the best place.

Small canyon just upstream from Buoy 9 before the lake turns left heading for Navajo.

Mouth of Navajo on the main channel side. Either side of the entrance along main channel.

Mouth of Warm Creek and main channel.

Padre Canyon where it narrows into slick rock gorge.

Rock Creek mouth at main channel

Jacks Arch – mouth of San Juan.

San Juan - Cha and Neskahi Bay.  Boils upstream at Spencers camp (small stripers).

Buoy 65 - East channel wall 200-500 yards down lake of Cottonwood Canyon.

Escalante Arm on rocky points protruding into deep water.  

Buoy 74 - Mouth of Bowns and Long Canyons, 50-100 yards from main channel inside of Bowns Canyon’s NE wall.

Lake Canyon mouth

Buoy 92/93 - West wall of main channel 50-150 yards down lake from mouth of Lost Eden Canyon.

Halls Ramp – Cliff wall downstream from ramp.

Buoy 99 A at Hansen Creek.

Small fish abundant from Bullfrog to Hite.