Lees Ferry Fishing Report

May 11th, 2008 by post

Sunday May 11^th 2008

Report by: Ted Welling

New Regulation:
Dogs are prohibited on the Colorado River downstream from the dam to
the boundary of Grand Canyon NP except when used in support of
hunting activities in accordance with applicable Federal and State laws.

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Today’s Fish rating

Upriver: 5.5

Walk-In: 4.0

Key: 1 = Go fish somewhere else
10 = Rent a helicopter and get here now!

Today Weather: Nice sunny day 82 degrees with afternoon wind gusts

Today’s Crowd Rating: See Below

Upriver: 2.5

Walk In: 1.0

Key: 1 = Sleep late and fish where you want.

10 = Very crowded, get up early!

Today’s Fly Fishing: Fishing was good today despite the wind. It didn’t blow that hard, just enough to put your cast off target. Good news, we are starting to see a few more midges buzzing around and the trout are starting to move into the shallows. However the flows are still a factor. The water is starting off low in the morning of course then coming up rather quickly so it is still kind of hard to wade to get to these guy’s. And another factor here is the river itself, it is VERY specific as to where these fish are. You really need to search these guy’s out before you start to flick you fly. Otherwise you’ll find you’re a master caster with a very low fish count. Some of the water looks promising but in fact, it’s vacant, nobody home!

It really boils down to where and when. That’s where a guide comes in and saves the day from becoming a blow-out! If you have fished here a lot in the past you know what I am saying, some areas are fishing very well and others are not. Let us help you have a more productive day here at lees ferry. To hire a guide, call us at 1-800-962-9755. We will be happy to help you have a better day of fishing. Tight lines…….. Have a great day! T

However the flows are still a factor

Lake Powell - Glen Canyon Dam - Current Status
Glen Canyon Dam Operations
Releases from Glen Canyon Dam in April 2008 will average 10,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) through April 14, 2008. During this period, on Mondays through Fridays, daily release fluctuations, due to load following, will likely vary between a low of 7,000 cfs
(during early morning and late evening off-peak hours) and a high of 13,000 cfs (during late morning and early evening on-peak hours). On Saturdays and Sundays during this period, release fluctuations will likely vary between a low of 7,000 and a high of 12,500 cfs.
After April 14, 2008, to the end of April, releases from Glen Canyon Dam will likely average about 12,600 cfs. On Mondays through Fridays, daily release fluctuations will vary between about 9,500 cfs and 15,500 cfs while Saturday and Sunday fluctuations will likely vary between about 9,500 and 15,000 cfs. The total monthly volume released during the month of April 2008 will likely be about 680,000 acre-feet. The monthly release volume in May 2008 will likely be higher than in April 2008. A total monthly volume of 755,000 acre-feet is scheduled to be released in May 2008 with a daily average release of about 12,300 cfs. This volume could be adjusted if forecasted
inflows to Lake Powell change next month. As discussed in the 2008 Annual Operating Plan, the Interim Guidelines for the Operation of Lake Powell and Lake Mead (Interim Guidelines) do provide for an April adjustment to the operational tier for the current water year if the current operational tier is Upper Elevation Balancing and specific conditions are projected in the April 24-Month Study. Specifically, if the April 24-Month Study projects the September 30 (current water year) Lake Powell elevation to be greater than the equalization elevation for the current water year, the Equalization tier will govern the operation of Lake Powell for the remainder of the water year. Based on this April forecast and an annual release volume of 8.23 million acre-feet (maf), as established through the Interim Guideline B.1 (Upper Elevation Balancing Tier), the April 24-Month Study would project the end of water year elevation of Lake Powell to be approximately 3639. This projected elevation is above the equalization level for 2008 (3636 feet). Under the Interim Guidelines and based on this projected condition, the Equalization tier will govern for the remainder of water year 2008. Under the
Equalization tier, the annual release volume from Glen Canyon Dam will likely be greater than 8.23 maf and for the April 24-Month Study is projected to be 8.88 maf. The projected end of water year elevation of Lake Powell is 3634.65 feet.

Upper Colorado River Basin Hydrology
Hydrologic conditions above Lake Powell have dried out somewhat during March. Precipitation in the Upper Colorado River Basin was 65% of average in March 2008 and is now 112% of average for the water year as of April 7, 2008. As of April 7, 2008 the snowpack conditions above Lake Powell are 116% of average. The climate outlook for the Upper Colorado River Basin indicates that the next 3 months will likely have below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures. Inflow to Lake Powell is currently 14,500 cfs (April 6, 2008). Total unregulated inflow to Lake Powell so far in water year 2008 (October through March) is 86% of average with March measured at 88 % of average. Forecasted April through July unregulated inflow to Lake Powell in 2008 is 9.7 million acre-feet, 122 % of average (April final forecast). Typically by April 1st , the snow accumulation season is nearly complete in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Snowpack levels, on average, peak by about April 10th.
The current elevation of Lake Powell (March 2, 2008) is 3,590.5 feet, 109.5 feet from full pool elevation of 3,700 feet. Reservoir storage is currently 10.86 million acre-feet, or 44 percent of capacity. The water surface elevation of Lake Powell is now near its seasonal low. In April, anticipated snowmelt runoff will cause the water surface elevation to begin to increase. Under the current inflow forecast, Lake Powell would reach a peak elevation of about 3639 feet in July 2008. The peak elevation for Lake Powell in 2007 was 3,611.7 feet.

Check out:

www.kutv.com/content/outdoors/default.aspx

Walk in: Based on the latest report I’ve taken in, the walk in area isn’t bad. Especially if you consider the early morning hours before the water comes up or late, late in the day. Fishing has been tough during the mid afternoon. So consider a good lunch at The Cliff and a nice long afternoon nap. The fishing in the late afternoon will be worth returning for.

Spin Fishing: Spin fishing is still great! Stop in and pick up some egg patterns and ask us about the recommended rig and best areas to fish. We do have maps available in the fly shop as well.

Fishing Synopsis and Forecast by Terry Gunn 4/19/08

The high flow experiment was basically a non event as far as the fishery is concerned. It came and went with few visible changes to the river or the fishery. For more details and to see my complete comments go here: http://coloradoriverconservancy.org/

Lots of stuff happening at the Ferry and it is all good!

Important Note: Due to the higher than normal runoff conditions and the desire to equalize Lake Powell and Lake Meade, water releases were increased on April 14. The projected increase amounts to more than 600,000 acre feet of water to be released between now and the end of the water year in October. This means that water flows will be higher than normal for the months of April, May, June, and July. Steady flows are planned for September and October. Read below how I predict this increased flows will affect fishing.

It has been a very different spring than most years. The air (and water) temperatures have been much cooler than normal and as a result, the midge hatches occurred much later than in past years. The swallows did not arrive until the first week of April, the exact same time as the midges started to hatch (how do they know?!). The swallows normally arrive Feb. 28 and this is the latest arrival that I have seen in my 25 years on the river. Most of the ducks are still here and they should have migrated several weeks ago which tells me that it is going to be a cool spring going forward and winter is going to be hanging on later than normal

The trout spawn began in early December which we have not seen in several years. It was a good strong spawn until the start of the experimental flow. Immediately following the high flow experiment the trout spawn began in earnest. It looked like every fish in the river was spawning at once and was the strongest spawn that I have ever witnessed. It was an inspiring sight, fish spawning everywhere and in areas that I have not seen them use in years. The spawn occurred in mostly deep water (up to 40-ft. deep!) with very little shallow water spawning taking place. The deep water spawn should translate into a “bumper crop” of fry and the survival rate will likely be off the charts.

This is going to be a year to remember at Lees Ferry…there are so many good things happening at once which will make this THE YEAR that will set the stage for great fishing for years to come. First and foremost: the current snowpack in the Colorado River drainage is 121% of normal, (Lake Powell is predicted to rise 50-ft!) and if the ducks are an indicator as to whether winter is lingering, the snowpack is likely to continue to increase. When the snow melt begins in earnest, the streams that flow into Lake Powell will be raging and stir-up all the accumulated sediment at the stream entrance. This sediment is nutrient laden and the suspended nutrients will be distributed throughout Lake Powell. All these nutrients will be transported and arrive in the river below the dam in a few months and the river will explode with algal growth and there will be lots of food for the fish.

Here is a quick overview and prediction.

The high runoff will provide the river with a huge nutrient load that will result in tremendous growth of aquatic organisms and plants (trout food).

The current trout population is healthy and the fish are larger than we have seen in years. These fish will grow rapidly to a larger size with the arrival of the nutrients and food. The current average 17-in fish should grow at least a couple inches and we have a bunch of fish that are bigger than that. We will see lots of 20+-in fish in the river next year.

The spawn from 2007 survival rate was substantial; the river is currently full of 7 to 8-in fish and the increased productivity of the nutrients should arrive just in time to stimulate growth of these juvenile fish. These fish will be 12-in and larger by this next fall and be catchable. The nutrient load should last at least a couple years even if next year’s snow pack is below normal. One strange phenomenon regarding juvenile fish at Lees Ferry is that once the fry reach 3-in long, they “disappear” until they reach 12-in and then suddenly they reappear and populate normal fishing lies. We’ll be seeing these fish this next fall.

I have already told you about the trout spawn from this year. The number of trout fry will likely be off the chart and the survival should be good. The river conditions should be perfect for survival and growth of these young of the year fish and they will show up as 12-in or larger fish in the fall of 2009.

Higher water flows always provide better health and growth rates for trout at Lees Ferry. Due to the projected run-off and the desire to equalize Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the planned release volume from April to October is being increased from 8.23 million acre feet of water to 8.88 million acre feet which is an increase of more than 600,000 acre feet of water. To help put this into perspective this increase is more than all the water that will be released in the month of April. This is the first time since 1997 that there has been a release larger than the minimum of 8.23 million acre feet. For those of you that remember what the fishing was like in 1999 and 2000…you should be as excited as I am about what this higher water and increased nutrient load should do to the fishing at Lees Ferry.

In the short term the higher water will make fishing conditions tougher. The trout normally stop feeding on sub-surface midges when the water flows exceed 12,000-cfs and the flows will exceed this value for the remainder of this season. The fish will shift their diet to worms and scuds in the higher flows which means we will be using heavy nymph rigs and be doing more drifting than wading.

For details on Lake Powell conditions and snow-pack, go here: http://lakepowell.water-data.com/

For a real time graphic view of water releases and ramp rates go here: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/az/nwis/uv?09380000

Overall the trout are in great shape and the average size is larger than we have seen in several years. I predict that the size and condition of the fish will continue to improve this spring and summer and we should continue to see great fishing for the remainder of 2008 and into the future

New guides at Lees Ferry Anglers. The last couple of years we have had several long time guide staff move on to bigger and hopefully better things. This year I’m proud to introduce 4 new guides, though new to our organization they are not new to guiding. Luke Blaser, Nick Gibb, Tom Jones, and JD Miller have joined our team. They bring with them a couple of decades of combined guiding experience on various waters around the world, college degrees, and an enthusiasm for guiding that is contagious. I’m proud to introduce these fellows and I’m sure that you will agree that they are a great addition to our team.

The AZ Game and Fish Department recently detected whirling disease in a small percentage of Lees Ferry trout that were collected for a random sampling. A recent sampling turned up no sign of the disease, which may mean that it was a “one time” exposure, where the disease was not established or that the disease is present but at a very low prevalence. Anglers should still use caution in cleaning their equipment both before and after they have fished here or in other waters. For more information visit: http://www.whirling-disease.org

I have had some people that are fishing on their own (unguided) tell me that they are having a difficult time catching fish. The fishing has changed from the peak of 2000 and many people are not adapting to the new conditions. The current fish population is lower than it was in 2000 and there are not fish “everywhere” in the river like there were several years back (this is probably the reason that we are seeing better conditioned and larger fish today). Just because you might have been successful in one spot on the river in the past does not mean that particular spot is always good. There are many times of the year that the water flows, or conditions are not right to hold fish at “famous” spots such as 4 mile or Dam Island. It is often challenging, even for a good guide, to stay on top of where the fish are and what they are eating; but we do have the advantage of spending a lot of time on the water.

Lees Ferry Anglers - Fly Shop Specials:

“GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE”

*****CLOSEOUTS******

SIMMS WADERS- Travel Waders $89.95, Lightweight Waders $109.95, Half-finger Gloves $13.00, Women’s Classic Guide Waders $180.00, Wading Boots $50.00

PATAGONIA- Women’s Stretch Jacket was $315.00 now $175.00, Women’s GO II Pants $40.00, Men’s GI II Pants $35.00, Men’s GI II Shorts $46.00, Wade Boots $50.00

EXOFFICIO- Men’s & Women’s Amphi Shorts $46.00

SMITH/ACTION OPTICS POLARIZED SUNGLASSES- 2006 discontinued models at 50% OFF

MAUI JIMS 50% OFF

ROSS SPOOLS- 50% OFF

Cliff Dwellers Lodge:

Our lodge has rooms with cable TV (20 channels), in-room coffee, and the basic amenities. Choice of rooms are ONE king-size bed $80.00 plus tax, TWO doubles $75 plus tax, and TWO queen-size beds $85 plus tax for 1 to 2 people. Also our group unit we call the HOUSE, sleeps six with two baths, dining area, kitchen, patio with a view, and cable TV. We are excited about the cool fall season and have some great “black board” specials planned. Patio dining is available. (Enclosed in the winter months)

Meet the Guides:

THE GUIDES AND STAFF OF LEES FERRY ANGLERS have thousands of days on this water, and over 100 years combined fish-guiding experience. Captains’ Terry Gunn, Jeff English, Skip Dixon, Rick Smith, Natalie Jensen, Nick Gibb, J.D. Miller, Luke Blazer, and Tom Jones make up our guiding staff. Lees Ferry Anglers is proud of our fly-fishing guide team! Wendy Gunn, Natalie Jensen, Sandy Willie, Ted Welling, and Kris Stoudt work in the fly shop to provide you with the best customer service in the industry.

Email: anglers@leesferry.com

Lees Ferry Anglers

HC-67 Box 30

Marble Canyon, AZ 86036

Toll Free 1-800-962-9755

Direct 1-928-355-2261

Fax 1-928-355-2271

Terry Gunn
Lees Ferry Anglers Fly Shop, Guides, & Rentals
Cliff Dwellers Lodge
http://www.terrygunn.com
http://www.leesferry.com
http://www.cliffdwellerslodge.com
800-962-9755

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