Rainbow Stocking Report - PDF file
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Windsor Nature Discovery
Arrowrock Reservoir
The reservoir levels are back on the rise but it shouldn't stop the fishing from improving. Look for trout to be up cruising the shorelines, so try fishing the shallow banks with worms, marshmallows, or some type of artificial bait like Powerbait will all catch fish. Trollers should use small pop gear, small Rapalas, or even single blade spinners. It's still a little early for kokanee, but as the water temperatures start to climb look for smallmouth bass to be up cruising the shores as well.llmouth bass.
Boise River
The river flows are starting to settle down somewhat and are just under 850 cfs., so the fishing should improve considerably! There are still not many wading opportunities at these flows, but with recently stocked trout this might be a good place to check out if you're trying to conserve gas.
Brownlee Reservoir
The reservoir levels are coming back up and will be about 43 feet down through the weekend. Still, the only developed ramps available are at Woodhead Park. Some individuals are launching smaller boats along various sections of the reservoir using four wheel drive vehicles, but it's not recommended. The bass fishing has remained fair to excellent using suspending jerkbaits and crankbaits fished to ten feet off shallow rocky banks, points, and shallow breaks. Crappie and perch fishing is starting to pick up and as our nights begin to stay warmer the pan fishing should continue to improve. Catfishing is still fair in the upper end of Brownlee and around the mouths of the Burnt River and up into the Powder River arm.
Cascade Reservoir
No change here, still iced over! Can you imagine, it snowed again this week!
C.J. Strike Reservoir
Anglers here are still catching a few trout, smaller crappie, a few perch, and a lot of smallmouth bass. Some folks are also catching bluegill, catfish, and sturgeon. C.J. Strike is filled with all kinds of fish so every time you throw your line out you never know what might come back. Bank anglers are catching a few trout using a little piece of worm tipped with a white marshmallow, or floating Powerbait. The best bank fishing is early in the day before the sun gets up. Boat anglers are doing better trout fishing through the Narrows trolling small Rapalas, pop gear, and dark colored streamers, and some are even just anchoring up and fishing with bait. Anglers are still catching a few smaller crappie in the backs of coves using a bobber and jig. Red and white or yellow and white seem to be working best. The perch fishing had been fairly good in the Bruneau Arm, but it seems they may have finished spawning so not many fish are being caught right now. Try using worms or cut bait to catch fish, it should improve in a week or so. Bass fishing is starting to improve with more consistent weather, but anglers are still finding the fish scattered throughout the reservoir, try using Rattle Trap type crankbaits, jerkbaits, and crawdad colored plastics or pig n' jigs.
Lake Lowell
Fishing for bass has been fair with most anglers tossing spinnerbaits, or slow dragging plastics to catch fish. As our weather continues to warm fishing for bass, crappie, bluegill, and catfish should all improve. NOTE: There will be another large bass tournament out of the Caldwell Ramp area both Saturday and Sunday, so if you're not in the tournament, you might consider launching elsewhere. Remember bass fishing is catch-and-release only until July 1. All bass caught must be released immediately back to the water, and no bass may be in possession prior to July 1. The tournament anglers have a special permit from the Idaho Fish & Game Dept. to bring their fish to weigh-in, then the fish must be released back into the lake unharmed.
Little Camas Reservoir
The reservoir is still fairly low, but it was stocked with over 7,000 trout April 30th so stock up on Wooly Worms and Buggers, or real worms and Powerbait, and go give it a try!
Local Ponds
The Idaho Dept. of Fish & Game will be stocking many of the Treasure Valley's ponds by Memorial Day Weekend. As warmer weather continues to build in, fishing for trout and even bass, bluegill, and catfish will continue to improve.
Lucky Peak Reservoir
The reservoir levels are starting to rise from a half a foot to a foot a day. In spite of the fluctuating water levels the fishing has been good for some bank fishermen, and a few rainbows have been taken trolling, but it's not been real consistent. Trollers have caught a few kokanee, but most of the fish are still in deeper water so it will be a week or so before you will be able to catch many fish. The ramps at Turner Gulch and all of the ramps at Spring Shores are open. If you take your boat try trolling small pop gear and Rapalas in and around the steeper banks in towards the coves. The water temperatures are still a little cool yet, but there could be a few smallmouth up cruising around.
Malheur Reservoir (south eastern Oregon)
Fishing is still fair for pan-sized trout with an occasional fish up to 14 inches or better. The usual for bank fishermen, worms, marshmallows or some type of artificial bait. Flycasters are having the best luck as the fish are starting to pull away from the shore, try using small dark olive Woolly Buggers and Sheep Creek Specials.
Mt. View Reservoir (Duck Valley Reservoirs)
Mt. View is your best bet right now, but both Mt. View and Lake Billy Shaw reservoirs were recently stocked, so fishing should be good either place. If you're a flycaster, take plenty of olive, brown, and burgundy colored Woolly Buggers and leech patterns. If you're a bank fisherman, you better have plenty of fresh worms, marshmallows, some Powerbait, and maybe even some shoe peg corn. There is still snow close by so the nights are very cool, and if the wind blows you'll need to bundle up!
Owyhee Reservoir
Bass fishing is starting to pick up throughout the reservoir, but you will still find most of the fish concentrated in a few areas. Anglers are also catching crappie in the backs of some coves and creek arms, and around the Elbow and the Airport area. No word on how they've been doing at Leslie Gulch, but typically if they're catching them down stream, they are usually catching them upstream. The boat ramp is in the water at Leslie Gulch. Look for areas protected from the wind, and that receive the most sunlight during the day, which's where the water tends to warm up the quickest. If you have a fish locator with a temperature gauge look for temps over 57 degrees for both crappie and bass. The bass are hitting on slow presentations of crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and crawdad colored plastics. Crappie still like the ole' red and white jig, but other colors will work.
Owyhee River
The river continues spring irrigation flows at about 240 cfs. Fishing conditions are good for caching fish, but again the sporadic weather has slowed bug hatches making fishing unpredictable. Anglers have been catching fish using BWO's, various midge imitations, and occasionally on caddis imitations.
Snake River
The catfish are still biting in various stretches along the river, try you're best stinkbait, but worms will do the job. Bass fishing is fairly good throughout the river, but of course there are some spots that produce better fishing than others are, try crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and plastics to catch bass.
Our fishing reports locations vary each week, but if there is a new lake, stream or river you would like to see on our fishing reports, . For more Fishing information in the Southwestern Region of Idaho and throughout the state, e-mail us at: askus@idfishnhunt.com
