Pictured is Hooked on Fishing guide Xieng Chanthavong with a boat load of catfish, walleye and spotted bass.
Beaver tailwaters
Fishing this past week has been good overall, but there’s a developing situation that deserves attention. Trout are consistently holding in deeper, cooler water, which isn’t surprising given the current conditions. Beaver Dam has had both generators offline and hasn’t moved water in close to—if not over—a month. As a result, water temperatures are steadily rising, and we’re already beginning to see the impact on the fishery. There have been reports and firsthand observations of fish stress and die-offs across multiple species, including trout.
This isn’t unfamiliar territory. We’ve seen similar conditions in past years when prolonged periods without generation led to elevated river temperatures and stressed fish populations. In those cases, communication with Game&Fish prompted the Corps to release cooler bottom water, which helped stabilize conditions and protect the fishery.
At this point, a similar response would be appropriate. While fishing remains productive in certain areas, the long-term health of the river is clearly at risk if conditions persist. Proactive management through controlled water releases could make a significant difference in mitigating further losses and preserving the quality of this fishery.
Austin Kennedy, Busch Mountain Fishing Guide Service
Beaver Lake
Beaver Lake striper fishing was great before this last rain and cold front came in, rivers took in a lot of water and currently muddy from the rain. Fish and bait are feeling that current coming in and have been on the move again. Use your sonar to locate bait to find the feeding stripers, main lake points and flats have been holding fish.
Don’t be afraid to fish where the muddy water is mixing with the cleaner water as there’s times where the stripers use the muddy water in their favor to ambush bait as they are coming into the clean water. Live bait has been best when you run it above their heads wherever you’re marking your fish in the water column. Crappie fishing has been good around brush piles in 10 – 15 feet of water.
Some crappie have been caught close to the banks as they’re getting ready for their yearly spawn. Water temps are slowly climbing and have hit 60° so it’s a matter of time before they start their spawning.
Juan Granados, Hooked on Fishing
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