August 3, 2006
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3606
Water Temp: 80-86 F
The hottest part of the summer is past.  Water surface temperature will now begin a slow decline making it easier for fish to feed near the surface. But for now larger bass and stripers are still trapped in the cool depths. Fish at 25-30 feet to find adult fish willing to bite.

Young bass and stripers are not inhibited by the thick band of warm water. The 8-15 inch stripers are super abundant, especially in the northern lake. Smalls stripers are dominating the fishing scene as they relentlessly chase young shad in the surface layers. From Good Hope Bay upstream yearling stripers are boiling morning and evening. The lake midsection holds similar big numbers of small stripers. They don’t boil often but are caught readily on anchovy bait along the canyon walls.

Near the dam stripers are right where they have been all summer with big stripers deep and little stripers closer to the surface. The best spot and easiest to find is the mouth of Warm Creek. The north cliff wall of the main channel ends at the mouth of Warm Creek. Fish right where the terminal end of the cliff dives into the lake. There is an old cement weight hanging over the cliff wall which used to anchor a float. Find that dangling weight and know you are in the right place.

Richard Snow shows off a fat 5.5 pound striper caught on anchovy bait at the mouth of Lake Canyon.

The mouth of Last Chance is excellent. Find long rocky points IN THE SHADE along the walls on either side of the canyon near Gregory Butte, and fish bait at 30-50 feet for a great fishing trip. Do the same at the mouth of Rock Creek. There is a little rock island at the mouth of the canyon (east side) that is easy to find and marks the spot of another big school of fish. The mouth of Lake Canyon and Buoy 99 are producing good catches midlake.

The keys to finding fish in the southern lake are shade and steep drops near long rocky points.  Use anchovy bait with lots of chum to find adult stripers looking for crayfish along the points near deep water.

The deep water pattern is repeatable anywhere on the lake. Bigger stripers are deep and without adequate food. The crayfish they find under rocks sustain them but do not provide enough food for hungry summer stripers.  Provide food and you can catch every one of them. Lots of 4-5 pound stripers are being caught every day.

Night fishing for stripers under fish lights may be the best technique for catching a large cooler of fish with the most favorable temperature.  Competition with other recreational boaters will be minimal during the quiet evening hours. Catfish will bite under the soft lights as well.