July 6, 2006
By Wayne Gustaveson
Lake Elevation: 3609
Water Temp: 77-83 F
Lake Powell registered a net lake elevation gain of 4-feet from 2005 to 2006. That’s perfect for fish.  Brush growing along the shoreline was flooded to provide valuable fish habitat but it was not lost.  Trees growing at an elevation of 3610-3615 will drink valuable moisture from the lake this summer and grow much taller.  A similar 5-foot raise in lake elevation next year will cover healthy trees on the shoreline and provide even more fish habitat in the future. 

As the lake declines over summer annual plants will colonize the shoreline. Tumbleweeds will provide great winter habitat as they blow into the lake and collect in favored coves pushed by the prevailing wind.  

Rick Larsen shows off a smallmouth bass caught at the mouth of Last Chance.

The most important cover is the aquatic weeds (spiny naiad) that have quickly sprouted as the lake flooded seeds dropped last year when the lake retreated. The small net gain in lake elevation means these weeds are growing in the depth zone where sunlight is still strong.  These dense weed beds will provide habitat needed to protect and prolong the life of shad and sunfish which are the main forage in Lake Powell.

Bass are living with sunfish and shad in those weed beds on flats 15-20 feet deep. Slowly swim a watermelon tube or grub through the weeds to find the larger predator sized bass.  Smaller bass are on the rocky shoreline but the big ones are in “grass” and in submerged tumbleweed piles.

There are a few slurp-boils in the northern lake but there is not much surface feeding going on south of Rainbow Bridge.   

Stripers are still waiting for shad along deep canyon walls on the cold side of the thermocline at 25 feet.  Bait fishing is good just about any place there is a steep canyon wall and water depth is 25 to 40 feet.  Long shallow flats are not good for stripers who must be close to food and cold water at the same time.  Schools are stationary so 2 or 3 spots must be fished before the school is found. Once ignited the school keeps going as long as the anchovy chum keeps falling. Alternate between a chunk of bait with no weight when fish are shallow and a heavy jig head to get the bait down quickly when stripers are deep. These deep stripers in cool water are separated from shad, especially in the southern lake.  They must be harvested to keep the entire population healthy.  Fillet the fat ones and recycle the thin ones.  Take lots of ice in the fish cooler to keep the good ones in prime condition until they can be filleted.  

Catfishing is great on sand beaches at night and any place anchovy chum has been deposited during the day.  Sunfish are very abundant.  Lack of shad in the southern lake allowed sunfish to survive in big numbers. Think green when choosing a color to fish with this summer.