Late Winter Transition – ice breaking, snow melting, cold still hanging on
We’re in that late-winter transition window. Ice and snow are melting off during the day, but cold nights and another cold stretch this week are keeping water temperatures suppressed. That back-and-forth is controlling fish movement more than anything else right now.
River & tailwater conditions
Snowmelt is feeding the system, keeping water cold and dense while current remains efficient—even where total flow numbers aren’t extreme. Fish are not roaming. They’re holding where they can sit comfortably and feed without burning energy.
High-percentage areas: Inside seams where fast water rolls into softer water tailouts of deeper holes, current breaks created by rock shelves, bends, or man-made structures.
Transition zones—not dead slack, not main current
Fish are stacked tighter than most anglers realize. If you’re drifting, trolling, or vertically fishing without contact, you’re probably just a few feet off the line they’re holding on.
Walleye remain in pre-spawn staging mode, but warming afternoons are starting to create short feeding windows. These bites are time-dependent, not all-day.
What’s working: Vertical jigging when possible. Slow, controlled drifts with frequent bottom contact. Natural colors olive, gold, black, with muted chartreuse accents.
Live bait or subtle soft plastics over aggressive profiles.
Bites are soft. Most fish won’t thump it—they just load the rod or feel heavy. If you’re waiting on a hammer bite, you’re missing fish.
Trout, rainbow & brown, are active but selective in this cold water. They’re feeding, but sloppy or fast presentations shut bites down quickly.
Focus on mid-column presentations rather than dragging bottom; smaller-profile crankbaits, spoons, or jigs, slower retrieves with occasional pauses.
Brown trout, especially, are holding just off main current, using structure to ambush rather than chase. Low light and slightly rising water tend to favor them.
The Big Picture
This is a precision season, not a search season. The anglers catching fish are slowing down, reading water correctly, and making repeat passes through high-percentage zones instead of covering water aimlessly. Cold still matters, but the trend is shifting. As snowmelt stabilizes and daylight increases, fish will slide shallower and feed more consistently.
Austin Kennedy, Busch Mountain Fishing Guide Service
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