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Fishing Reports

Jimmy's All Seasons Angler / Fishing Reports (Page 31)

Henry’s Fork, April 11th, 2023

The river below Ashton Dam is providing fishing with midge and BWO activity making for top water action during PMs. Flow is a bit below normal for the time of year. For browns and post spawning rainbows, try streamers around locations out of direct sunlight and during low light periods.

Headlines from Dr. Rob Van Kirk’s Henry’s Fork Drainage Snow-Water Equivalent Report filed Yesterday, April 10th

  • Natural stream flow has increased 10% since Thursday due to snow melt but is still only 59% of average.
  • At an outflow of 266 cfs, Island Park Reservoir is 88% full and filling very slowly.

At 9 degrees F above average, yesterday was the warmest day since last October 21.Based on updated data, SWE appears to have peaked for the year last Thursday at 117% of the average peak.Natural .

Rob Van Kirk, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

Henry’s Fork Foundation

P.O. Box 550

Ashton, ID 83420

208-881-3407 CELL

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Small Streams, April 8th, 2023

Good Results from a Violent Winter

During the last few years winters have been near disasters with respect to providing snowfall to restore our reginal waters to normal amounts that are beneficial for resident salmonids. Consequently, those salmonid populations have dwindled a bit, and those remaining have been relatively inactive in responding to our fly fishing efforts.

 Although annoying, this winter has been the most generous in decades for providing replenishing amounts of snow. Here are some examples of regional drainages benefiting from the more than generous snowfall. Estimates earlier this week concluded the amounts in the Henry’s Fork and Snake River drainages above Palisades Reservoir are around 120% of normal, and the Big Lost River’s is about 140% of normal. Other sinks drainages are at similar amounts. But not to be outdone, that of the Bear River’s is about 170%. And leading the pack, those of the Blackfoot, and Portneuf Rivers and Willow Creek are about 185% of normal.   This abundance of snowfall in those four latter drainages could not be better news for the immediate future of endangered native cutthroat trout the major salmonid in each of these.

The effect of this abundance is that first ground water amounts will be restored to natural levels, then streams will be restored to the same, and still waters will move closer to natural volumes. Irrigation draw -downs will not have as negative an impact on hosted fisheries as in past years.  In particular, many of our depleted smaller waters, not influenced by storage reservoirs, will “come back to life” with respect to providing better conditions for hosting salmonids and therefore being fished.

Spring time weather will determine the length and intensity of the upcoming run-off season, and can even impact the first months of fishing season.  Even if a delayed fishing season occurs, the amount of water generated from the abundance of snow melt will benefit our salmonid populations in that it will begin a restoration to natural amounts. And the cooler waters will provide higher concentrations of dissolved oxygen which salmonids need to be active.

So anglers and our salmonids alike will benefit from the furious winter that is finally winding down. It may mean a delay in our best fishing conditions, but such is worth the wait when more active salmonids for a longer time are results of a winter that brought so many road closures, shoveling, and downright foul weather.

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Henry’s Fork, April 4th, 2023

Headlines From Dr. Rob Van Kirk’s SWE Report as of April 3rd for the Henry’s Fork Drainage

  • Yesterday was cold but relatively dry, leaving water-year precipitation at 116% of average for the date and SWE at 116% of the average annual peak.
  • Natural stream flow is 63% of average for the date and around 75% of average for the water year so far.
  • At an outflow of 280 cfs, Island Park Reservoir is 87% full, compared with 84% full on average.

Rob Van Kirk, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

Henry’s Fork Foundation

P.O. Box 550

Ashton, ID 83420

208-881-3407 CELL

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Henry’s Fork, March 28th, 2023

Here are Dr. Rob Van Kirk’s Snow-Water Equivalent (SWE) report headlines for the Henry’s Fork drainage today, March 28th.

Headlines

  • Mean temperature yesterday was 13 degrees F below average, extending what has been a very cold winter into spring. Precipitation was light yesterday, but after updating data, the water-year total is 112% of average, a little higher than I reported yesterday. Snow water equivalent (SWE) stayed at 119% of average for the date and 109% of the average seasonal peak.

There is no end to cold, wet weather in sight. The latest 7-day quantitative forecast is now calling for widespread precipitation exceeding 0.75 inch over even the driest parts of the watershed, with up to 3 inches of water equivalent at the highest elevations. Below-average temperatures are expected to continue well into the month of April, with high confidence in that outlook.

At an outflow of 250 cfs, Island Park Reservoir is 86% full, compared with 82% full on average. The three reservoirs in the Henry’s Fork watershed are 88% full, compared with 86% full on average.

Rob Van Kirk, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

Henry’s Fork Foundation

P.O. Box 550

Ashton, ID 83420

208-881-3407 CELL

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Henry’s Fork, March 7th, 2023

Headlines from Dr. Rob Van Kirk’s March 6th Henry’s Fork drainage SWE report

  • Precipitation was light yesterday but still over-performed in the Ashton area.
  • Heavy precipitation is expected Friday and possibly early next week.
  • Current SWE is 108% of average for the date and 90% of the average annual peak.
  • At an outflow of 233 cfs, Island Park Reservoir gained 218 ac-ft yesterday and is 83% full, compared with 79% full on average.

Rob Van Kirk, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

Henry’s Fork Foundation

P.O. Box 550

Ashton, ID 83420

208-881-3407 CELL

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Henry’s Fork, February 7th, 2023

Here is an important detail from Dr. Rob Van Kirk’s snow-water equivalent (SWE) report compiled yesterday for the Henry’s Fork watershed.

I will emphasize that average snow pack this winter—if we actually even achieve that—will not bring average stream flow. Stream base flows this winter are still in the range of 70-80% of average, and the springtime snow melt will be superimposed on that very low base—not on top of average stream flow. Average SWE this will winter will bring us natural stream flow in the range of 80-90% of average, which is much better than last year but still well below average.

Rob Van Kirk, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

Henry’s Fork Foundation

P.O. Box 550

Ashton, ID 83420

208-881-3407 CELL

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Henry’s Fork, January 31st, 2023

Headlines from Dr. Rob Van Kirk’s Snow-Water Equivalent Report Compiled Yesterday

  • Yesterday’s watershed-averaged minimum and mean temperatures ended up just a fraction of a degree warmer than those on December 22, but most stations in the watershed set new low-temperature records for the date.
  • Water-year total precipitation is 104% of average, and SWE is at 106% of average.
  • If SWE stays at 106% of average the rest of the winter, expected April-September streamflow will be 90-95% of average.
  • At an outflow of 266 cfs, Island Park Reservoir gained 104 ac-ft yesterday and is 77% full, compared with 75% full on average.

Rob Van Kirk, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

Henry’s Fork Foundation

P.O. Box 550

Ashton, ID 83420

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Henry’s Fork, January 17th, 2023

Headlines From Dr. Rob Van Kirk’s SWE Report of Yesterday for the Henry’s Fork Drainage.

  • Thanks to a solid storm over the weekend, precipitation last week was above average, keeping the water-year total at 110% of average and increasing SWE to 115% of average.
  • Generally dry conditions with below-average temperatures are expected for the next two weeks. New snow water equivalent (SWE) was 19% above average for the 8-day period, ranging from 1.4 inches at Phillips Bench (Teton Pass) and Grassy Lake to 3.0 inches at Grand Targhee. Current SWE is 115% of average: 104% in Teton River, 107% in Fall River, and 129% in upper Henry’s Fork. Upper-level atmospheric flow has shifted from southwest to northwest, finally putting an end to three weeks of continuous heavy precipitation in California. For us, the change means cooler-than-average temperatures and generally dry conditions for the next week or two. If that forecast proves to be correct, water-year precipitation here will drop relative to average over the next week to around 107% of average, and SWE will drop to 105% of average.
  • At an outflow of 201 cfs, Island Park Reservoir is 75% full, compared with 73% full on average.
  • Combined volume in the three reservoirs in the watershed caught up to average yesterday, at 79% full.

Rob Van Kirk, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

Henry’s Fork Foundation

P.O. Box 550

Ashton, ID 83420

208-881-3407 CELL

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Henry’s Fork, January 10th, 2023

Headlines From Dr. Rob Van Kirk’s SWE report of yesterday for the Henry’s Fork drainage.

  • Yesterday was warm and wet, keeping water-year precipitation at 110% of average but increasing SWE a notch to 115% of average.
  • Moderate precipitation is expected to continue on and off for the foreseeable future.
  • Natural stream flow in the upper Henry’s Fork sub-watershed continues to hover in the range of 75-77% of average.
  • At an average outflow of 203 cfs, Island Park Reservoir gained 390 ac-ft yesterday thanks to good precipitation and is 73% full, compared with 72% full on average.

Rob Van Kirk, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

Henry’s Fork Foundation

P.O. Box 550

Ashton, ID 83420

208-881-3407 CELL

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Henry’s Fork, January 3rd, 2023

Headlines from Dr. Rob Van Kirk’s SWE (snow-water equivalent) report for the Henry’s Fork Drainage filed yesterday are below.

Headlines:

  • Mean temperature for the month of December was near average, but precipitation was 18% above average.
  • Water-year precipitation to date is 113% of average, and SWE is 119% of average.
  • Light to moderate precipitation is expected over the next week, with near-average precipitation forecast for the month of January.
  • At an average outflow of 204 cfs, Island Park Reservoir gained 329 ac-ft/day over the last four days and is 71% full, 900 ac-ft ahead of average for the date.

Rob Van Kirk, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

Henry’s Fork Foundation

P.O. Box 550

Ashton, ID 83420

208-881-3407 CELL

208-652-3568 FAX

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