Spawning Stripers At Powell Providing Excellent Fishing

The striped bass are spawning at Lake Powell, which makes them highly accessible to the anglers, advised Arizona Game and Fish Department officials.

"This is the time of year when even novice anglers can expect to catch 20, 30, or even 40 stripers per outing if they are in the right place. And the right place is relatively easy to find at Powell right now," said Public Information Officer Rory Aikens.

Stripers seek out current to spawn. There are three good places for current. One is near the Glen Canyon Dam. The other is near the water intakes for the Navajo Generating Station (also close to the dam). Another is near Hite on the upper end Powell where the Colorado River empties into the lake.

"In any of the three spots, just look for a flotilla of boats. Don’t be shy. Fishing for spawning stripers is a social event. The more anglers, the better the chance of everyone catching more stripers. If there is current, and food, the huge schools of bass are more likely to stick around. That’s why chumming with anchovies is an excellent strategy," Aikens advised.

In Powell’s crystal clear water, you will want to fish with no more than 10 or 12-pound test. Stripers can be line shy at times. "Personally, I prefer six or eight-pound test because the abundant smallmouth and walleye at Powell can also be line shy," Aikens said.

If you are fishing in a flotilla of boats, just ask the other anglers at what depth the stripers are hitting. For the past week or so, it’s been about 30 feet deep, but that can change.

"For those who have never fished for stripers before, you are in for a thrill. Just keep a firm hand on your fishing pole when you have bait in the water. Striped bass can be moving at 20 or 30 miles per hour when they hit. Many an angler has lost an unattended rod and reel overboard in striper country," Aikens said.

Wayne Gustaveson, Utah Division of Wildlife, explained that large pre-spawn striper schools move in and out during the day. "When they are in, most anglers catch fish in a hurry. The activity period is usually three hours long. Activity begins according to the whim of the stripers. It varies from early to late. A patient angler willing to wait out the dry spells will be rewarded with 30 fish when they start to bite," Gustaveson said.

Wait for fish to start biting "Inactive fish were more likely to hit a bait that is slowly descending between 45 and 60 feet and usually on the first cast. Move along the wall. Cast often. Use just enough weight to get the bait down to 60 feet. Chumming is good. Amount of chum invested usually correlates well with number of fish caught at the end of the day," Gustaveson recommends.

Up lake, stripers are biting well at the mud line near Hite, which is found near the mouth of North Wash. Trolling Rat-L-Traps and Wally Divers and drifting anchovies at 40 feet is working well with larger stripers (up to 10 pounds) moving from the lake toward the headwaters for spawning purposes.