Idaho Fish Report
NDOW Eastern Fishing Report
by Nevada Department of Wildlife
5-7-2021
Website
Happy Mother’s Day to all the great Moms out there. Especially to those who love to fish with their children. My father was in the military and was gone from home a lot. My Mom, who was born and raised in Queens, NY, was not an outdoors type of person at all, but knew how much my brother and I wanted to fish.
When Dad was gone, she would take us to local ponds and waters during the summer and looked for “grandfather” type fishermen to set up next to. After a bit of fumbling around, these old gents would almost always take pity on her and help us boys get started. Kudos to my mom for getting me started at a very early age even though she knew nothing about fishing.
We are looking at a bit of a cool down for the weekend with highs in the 60’s and a bit of wind, but it should be good for fishing. In addition to the good weather, many of our area waters have been stocked over the past few weeks making for some good fishing conditions. You can go to http://www.ndow.org/Fish/Stocking_Updates/ to find out which waters have been stocked.
Today (Saturday, May 8) is Take a Kid Fishing Day at the Spring Creek Marina hosted by the Spring Creek Association. It will run from 8:00 am to 11:30 am and is open to all children 12 and younger and you do not need to be a resident of Spring Creek to attend.
Starting at 11:30 there will be a free drawing for participants with lots of prizes followed by a lunch sponsored by State Farm Insurance, Brent Stokes. All children must be accompanied by an adult at all times and it is free. Sponsors include Spring Creek Association, Khoury’s, State Farm Insurance, Elko Fly Shop and the Ruby Mountain Spring Creek Lions Club.
Since it’s Mother’s Day Weekend, Dads can give Mom Saturday morning off while they take their kids fishing. Then on Sunday, take Mom to breakfast. Lots of brownie points to be made with both the kids and Mom that weekend!
The road is closed, and the lake is ice covered. There will be no fishing reports for this lake until late spring or early summer depending upon the winter. The road is generally open in time for Memorial Day.
Cave Lake is sitting approximately 15 feet below normal water level and is now ice free. No recent reports on fishing conditions but expect it to be fair to good using worms, PowerBait or small spinners. Fly rodders should be using small nymphs, chironomids or buggers. Expect soft, muddy shorelines. Cave Lake was recently stocked with approximately 5,000 rainbow trout.
Cold Creek Reservoir is now at minimum pool due to outlet structure repair being done by Kinross. There is very little water and is mostly ice free.
Very little change here as far fishing has been good this spring with 16-to-20-inch Rainbow Trout being caught. Bass fishing is slow. Anglers will do well on nightcrawlers, a variety of spinners, wet flies behind a bubble, and even PowerBait. Minnow imitations and large streamer patterns have been working for northern pike, many of which have been staged for spawning on the southeast shoreline. Anglers, please note that NDOW has placed radio tags in several Northern Pike. These pike will have an orange floy tag near their dorsal fin and a small antenna coming from their stomach. Please return these fish to the water for research purposes. If the pike doesn’t have the transmitter tag, please humanely dispatch the fish. Do not put it back in the lake. Comins Lake was recently stocked with approximately 3,500 rainbow trout.
Illipah is sitting at approximately 90% of capacity. Anglers will do well on nightcrawlers, spinners, and PowerBait. Fly rodders should be using olive or black wooly buggers, black leeches, red copper Johns, GR hares ears, PT nymphs and prince nymphs. Illipah was recently stocked with approximately 8,000 rainbow trout.
Expect fair to good fishing for trout and slow fishing for bass. The usual worms and PowerBait, as well as small spinners, rooster tails, and panther Martins should work. Fly rodders should be using black or olive wooly buggers or leech patterns, hares ears, PT nymphs and chironomid patterns. Expect muddy road conditions Sunday, but the road should dry out early next week. This water was stocked with 3,000 trout over the past week.
The lake has very low water levels and a soft muddy shoreline. There was a trout die off last summer, so no trout are left here. A few blue gill and bass, but no report on how fishing is. The shorelines are soft and muddy. NDOW is planning a fish salvage here as the lake may dry up this summer. Fish salvaged will be moved to other waters in the area.
MOUNTAIN STREAMS
Stream flows have increased over the past few weeks but are still well below normal. With last year’s dry summer and fall, the ground is very dry and most of the water from snowmelt is being absorbed into the ground, which is keeping flows low. As of April 23, the East Fork of the Owyhee was flowing at 96 cfs, the Bruneau River at 95 cfs, the Jarbidge is flowing at 22 cfs(access through Idaho), Salmon Falls Creek at 117 cfs, Lamoille Creek at 15.5 cfs, the South Fork it at 18-28 cfs, Cleve Creek at 5.5 cfs, Steptoe Creek at 2.7 cfs and Kingston Creek at 3 cfs.
HIGH ALPINE LAKES
With snow on the mountains only the most experienced backcountry travelers should attempt to reach the lakes. The lakes are still frozen, and fishing is done until summer. There will be no more fishing reports for the high alpine lakes until late spring or early summer depending upon the winter.
No change here as fishing has been fair to good depending upon the day and location, with high water levels and cloudy water in spots. Fish are being caught with leech patterns, balanced leeches, crystal buggers, #14-16 hare’s ears, and #16-18 PT nymphs. Other flies working include the usual small nymphs, olive soft hackles, red or blue copper Johns, and prince nymphs. On warm afternoons if you see insects hatching, switch to midge emergers, blue wing olive emergers or dries. Small brightly colored spinners were doing fair for spin fishermen. Anglers may now fish the water behind and downstream of the hatchery. Please follow the signs for access and don’t walk through the hatchery itself. Harrison Pass is now open to two-wheel drive vehicles. The south springs were recently stocked with approximately 1,000 tiger trout and 700 rainbow trout.
Surface water temperatures have moved into the mid to high 50’s, perfect trout temperatures, but still a bit cool for bass though a few nice ones are being caught. The bottom decomposition layer is floating up in chunks causing some debris in the water. With the winds this weekend, it should be cleared out soon. The dock is in at the main boat ramp and the water level is good for launching a boat. However, the boat ramp at Jet Ski Beach is not useable due to a drop off at the end of the ramp which will get your trailer tires stuck. No change in conditions as fishing continues to be good with both fly rodders and spin fishermen having success. Anglers are having success with both worms and PowerBait catching fish averaging 15 to 18 inches and a few over 20. Flies that have caught fish include leech patterns, red copper Johns, wooly buggers, hares ears and chironomids (midge) patterns. Midges are hatching with this warm weather and can make up almost 50% of a trout’s diet on our high desert reservoirs year round and up to 80% in the spring and fall. Fly rodders should be fishing midge patterns for success. Ice cream cones, red butt buzzers, red and silver zebra midges, chromies and frostbite chironomids are all working. Red seems to be the magic color. Fishing at Jet Ski Beach has been fair to good depending upon the day. Fishing on either side of the dam has been good as has been the south end of the lake where the river empties into the lake. Another 6,000 trout were stocked in South Fork last week bringing the spring total to 36,000 fish.
Wildhorse is approximately 70% full and water conditions are good for fishing. The dock is in the water at the boat ramp for launching boats. Fishing has been good for trout with surface water temperatures hovering around 50 degrees. There is very little change in fishing conditions. Fly rodders have had success with balanced leeches and chironomids. Expect buggers and small nymphs such as copper Johns, hares ears and PT’s to all be working. Bait anglers should be using worms fished off the bottom in water that is four to eight feet deep. Small spinners should also be effective. Fish have been cruising the shallows so fish close to shore. The tailwater below the dam has well below average flows but they are fishable and fishing has been good in the river using streamer patterns and nymphs for fly fishermen and minnow imitation lures and spinners for spin fishermen. The further downstream you get, the better the flows as the tributaries join the main stem.
No fish
Fishing has been good with anglers catching fish using a variety of presentations. For the bait anglers, worms seem to be working better than PowerBait. Spin fishermen should be using black spinners with gold blades. Fly rodders were having good luck with purple wooly buggers. Since Wilson often fishes similar to South Fork, bring the chironomid patterns. The water level is down about 6 feet, and chances are that the lake won’t spill this year. The road has been graded and is in good condition.
More Reports
Nevada Department of Wildlife Reports
for Friday, May 7th, 2021Hobart Reservoir: Fishing Season is Open But The Road is Still Closed
Angel Lake: Road is Closed and Lake is Covered in Ice
Illipah Reservoir: Illipah is at 90 % Capactiy
Jakes Creek Reservoir (Boies Reservoir): Expect fair to good fishing for trout
Jiggs Reservoir (Zunino Reservoir): The lake has very low water levels and a soft muddy shoreline
Ruby Lake NWR: Fishing Has Been Fair to Good
South Fork Reservoir: Surface water temperatures have moved into the mid to high 50’s
Wild Horse Reservoir: Water Conditions Are Good For Fishing
Wilson Reservoir: Fishing Has Been Good
Nevada Department of Wildlife Reports
for Wednesday, May 5th, 2021
Lake Mead: Black bass and bluegill are biting throughout Government Wash
Colorado River - Willow Beach: The rainbow trout bite is hot along the shorelines of Willow Beach
Colorado River - Laughlin: Striped bass action is picking up along the Colorado River
Kirch Wildlife Management Area: The trout bite has been good
Eagle Valley Reservoir: Trout action is good
Echo Canyon Reservoir: Echo Canyon Resservoir Report