Category Archives: Capt Bill’s Fishing Tips

Captain Bill McBurney Wins Award for Best Fishing Guide!

Once again Captain Bill McBurney has won the Best of Page Award in 2024 for Best Fishing Guide. This is his 7th time winning the award! Best of Page is sponsored by the Page Lake Powell Chamber of Commerce, where local peers vote for their favorite in many categories. This year had 42 categories and the Best Fishing Guide was presented to Capt. Bill McBurney, who has won the award in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. This is the first one held since Read More +

Lake Powell Fishing Report 8-26-2024 by Capt. Bill McBurney

Our Fall Get Ready Report   Dear Anglers, This summer was spent getting my knee that was done in December cleaned out of scar tissue so my time on Lake Powell was not possible.  I am now recovered and will be back in business beginning September.  I am currently taking bookings.  This year, I am scaling back and only offering 2-3 anglers maximum only and 1/2 days or 6 hours only. My rates are the same:  1-2 Anglers $575.00 and additional $50 and 6 hours Read More +

Lake Powell Fishing Report June 9, 2023 – Capt Bill

Lake Powell Fishing Report – June 9, 2023 – Capt. Bill Lake Powell Elevation: 3569.07 Lake has risen approx. 33’ Baite fishing that usually last through the summer could be tapering off early due to the great runoff that is coming to Lake Powell. Slurping stripers are being observed in the main channel and Padre Bay already. That would normally occur late August early September and artificial from there through November then the stripers will entitle down again the side Canyon to bait fish again, Read More +

June 2021 NEWS Lake Powell

Reshma 5-27-21 Lake Powell Fly Fishing is ON!  Bring your 7-8 wt. rod – floating and full sink medium weight line.  My customer was a novice angler and landed this nice 6lb. with several others!  Join me on Lake Powell for excellent Fly fishing! We take maximum 2 anglers with a 5 hour minimum = $575.00 for 2 anglers.  Conventional fishing is equally good right now as well.  Bait fishing might be difficult as their is a current shortage of  “anchovies” but hopefully that will Read More +

April 2021 tips

Spring 2021 Fishing Conditions for Lake Powell Stripers are staged at most past staging locations to the main channels and some canyon points as well.  Keep in mind some of those locations are deep underwater locations not visible. Striper conditions run in 3 categories being poor, medium, and choice due to spawning and availability of bait fish.  Ambassador Guides only allows the choice fish to be keep fir clients for a quality eating experience.  The others need to heal or fall into the food chain naturally. Read More +

Lake Powell Spring Fishing recommendations by Capt. Bill

Fishing Lake Powell 2021 – Capt. Bill McBurney With low water expectations on Lake Powell this year, we will no longer have our “cut” to use for sometime.  This will increase our travel time to get “on fish”.  For anyone wanting a 1/2 day trip, I highly recommend 5 hours instead which is a new rate of $575.00 for 1-2 anglers, to have travel time included. This year one of our rides up Lake Powell will be on a 4 Stroke Center Console Polar Boat Read More +

Lake Powell Fishing Report February 15, 2020

  High points – Low points to Pre-Spring Fishing on Powell   It’s all about the water temps, the moon phase, your approach and then the secret “luck of the draw”. For us locals and guides that finally get to fish “without customers” is the warming of a few consecutive nights and days by as little as a few degrees.  It doesn’t matter if your bait drop shotting, anchovies at a 100′, trolling, jigging or even fly fishing the shallows where stripers will run in Read More +

Lake Powell Fishing September 15, 2019 Capt. Bill

September 2019 Lake Powell Fishing Right now as water temperatures are slowly dropping on the south end of Lake Powell. To sum it up briefly, one day we have a fair bite and the next day nothing! So what is happening? The top layer (first few feet) of water has dropped from the summer 80’s to around 74 degrees. The fish are only active at very specific times to the day as to feeding and will improve as temps decline further. My summary for October Read More +

Spring Fishing Lake Powell 2019

Fishing Thoughts~Spring Lake Powell by Capt. Bill Every beginning starts about the same at Lake Powell but there are variables. This year we have a huge carry over of 2 dominate bait fish being thread fin and gizzard shad. The north end will produce more threadfin and the south more gizzard and some threadfin. How do you like to catch them? If fly fishing May & June in the back of canyons I recommend in the the south half and sometimes in early July for Read More +