Waiting for stability…

Water Temp 57-59
Inflow (cfs) 8679
Outflow (cfs) 4840
Lake Elevation 7502 -- 17' low
Boat Ramp Hours 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Marinas Elk Creek and Lake Fork open 8-5

Last week the kokanee bite was pretty darn good and in all honesty it’s still not too shabby, but it sure seems like it got a little tougher this week!  If you can land more than half of the salmon that bite you are ahead of the game!  The lake continues to rapidly rise as run off has kicked in to high gear, which is adding to the kokanee bite being “tough” at times.  Floating debris is all across the lake and waiting for an unsuspecting boater.  Be careful and pay attention to where you are driving!  Shore fishing continues to be a challenge, but rocky and sandy areas that don’t have brush can produce!

Kokanee Salmon- The salmon are SHALLOW!  Most days we catch them 20′ down or less.  It may seem like it should be easy since most all of the fish are conentrated in a small portion of the water column, but most days it isn’t.  These fish are picky!  They will zone in on a few lures each day and if you can figure those lures out you will have a good day.  If not, you might luck in to a few fish.  Be sure to change a bunch and cover a lot of water!  Days that start off sunny seem to be FAR better than days that start off cloudy.  A little bit of everything has been working in every color.  I know that doesn’t help narrow anything down, but it truly has been a guessing game each day to figure out any kind of a pattern. Rocky Mountain Tackle and Radical glow spinners and squids have been top producers as well as kokanee killers, arnies, wedding rings, and wee tads.  If you can’t seem to get a bite, pick out the lure you have the least amount of confidence in and give it a try!

Rainbow & Brown Trout- The trout bite has been good overall, especially if you want to target the browns that are hanging out deeper in 30-60 feet of water.  Venator lures, kokanee killers, tazmanian devils, and kokanee gear have all been producing.  Watch your fish finder as some for the flats, points, and humps are loaded with trout.  Circle these areas until you figure out what they want.

Mackinaw Lake Trout-  We are catching some smaller lake trout mixed in with the kokanee salmon occasionally on the same baits.  The bigger fish have headed deeper as the water temps are nearing 60 degrees. Always remember the importance of releasing trophy lake trout to ensure future generations get the same opportunities we get!

Perch- the perch are just starting to show up in the coves.  With all of the brush that has been covered with the rise of the lake, the perch should have an excellent spawn and the fry should have plenty of places to hide!  Smaller perch can be found in the backs of brushy coves in 8-25′ of water.  They will be hard to see on your electronics due to all of the brush, but a small jig and a piece of night crawler will quickly tell you if they are in the area!

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