Fall temperatures are back, and the bite is on fire in the tailwaters. As you are reading this, another cold front should have arrived. If you have been fishing the tailwaters, you have probably noticed some spawn activity with trout. Payden shows an impressive 18-3/4” rainbow Things are picking up with the fall spawn bite.
Just like last week, fishing has been pretty good. We have been getting great results using Pautzke Fire Bait, Rocket red or Peach garlic, fished with light terminal tackle, on bottom. An orange or white Fire egg, floating a nightcrawler has done great as well. With this method, you can pull a few fall walleye, as well.
Casting ¼ oz. spoons, along with pulling Flicker Shads, are producing nice numbers. We are holding steady with the water levels, with most of the generation happening in the evening time hours. Water temperatures have been pretty consistent, from Houseman Access to the dam, with slightly higher temperatures, downstream towards Table Rock.
The walleye bite in the tailwaters has still been off and on. Guide Sky Haack stated, “If you get out early, fishing with live bait and constantly moving, should bag you one or two.”
Sky says he has noticed them holding on and around stumps, around the sandy side of the river. Also focus on chunk rock, bends and ledges.
Hooked on Fishing Guide Service reports, “The striper bite has been good to great most days. Morning bite is good to excellent. Evening bite is a little tougher but not impossible with some persistence. Trolling live shad and minnows is very productive. Artificial is still slow but expected to pick up soon as the water temps drop. Depth isn’t consistent as some are catching fish on shallow flats and others are catching fish in the channel at 150 feet plus. Top water is present but sporadic and not predictable. Water is 67° in the rivers and 72° at the dam. Annual migration should start soon as lake temp drops. Best areas to focus is Coppermine to Dam.”
Walleye are still scattered about, try fishing for them in 30 feet of water. Look for them around humps and flats. Also, the flats around islands are good areas to troll crawler harnesses and crank baits.
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