Lake Powell Fishing Report by Capt. Bill McBurney & Wayne Gustaveson (Wayne’s Words)

Lake Powell remains at the high water peak of 3609 MSL but has started its annual decline. The bright side of this picture is that brush and drift wood cluttered camping and recreational beaches will become pristine for the rest of the summer as water level decli…nes. The slow decline will stabilize fishing success and set the stage for awesome topwater fishing during the rest of July and August. There is just enough submerged brush in the water to harbor shad and protect them while they grow larger. Watch the lake level closely when planning a summer boil trip. Brush comes out of the water when lake elevation hits 3603. That will be the peak of the top water fishing season as shad and stripers come together on equal footing when brush is no longer available to protect shad. Water level from 3603-3605 MSL should be the ideal time to catch bass and stripers on surface lures.

The super moon was great to look at but all fish in the southern lake went on vacation while gazing at the moon. The best angling occurred at Bullfrog and Halls where night fishermen were catching 2-3 pound stripers under the lights all night long. Daytime fishing success is now recovering lakewide as small stripers are chasing small shad on the surface over the entire lake.

Topwater hotspots for stripers right now include the main channel at the mouth of Lake Canyon, Halls Creek buoy field and the wall on the upstream side of the buoy field, Neskahi Bay on the San Juan, Escalante main channel, and Good Hope Bay. Slurping boils will be seen lakewide with best success early in the morning before boat traffic stirs up the lake and shortens the time a striper school spends slurping on the surface. The last hour of daylight will be good as well if the wind does not blow.

Average size of bass caught is still small with most fish weighing less than a pound. Bigger bass can be caught by fishing topwater lures at twilight both morning and evening. Largemouth will surprise some anglers by feeding in open water with a school of slurping stripers. The ideal bass fishing experience results when stripers drive shad into a shallow brushy cove. It is great fun to catch stripers on topwater lures while they are actively engaged. But stripers usually leave the cove after only a few minutes. Continue to work topwater lures near brush to target largemouth bass after the boil subsides.

Catfish are perhaps the easiest fish to catch now. Just fish off the back of the boat near camp with table scraps. My favorite catfish recipe is blackened catfish with Cajun spices cooked in a hot cast iron pan with olive oil. That will make an unforgettable meal for a youngster who caught the catfish and provided the fish for dinner.