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Fishing Reports

Jimmy's All Seasons Angler / Fishing Reports (Page 56)

Henry’s Lake, October 12th, 2021

This weather is ” just the ticket” for improving fishing here. It will also help break up those copious submerged weeds. Currently, roads can be a bit hazardous with icy stretches, possible fog and road clearing action, each reducing the number of folks fishing. Thus we have no reports yet of improved fishing, but they should be coming in as weather improves.

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Yellowstone Park, October 12th, 2021

The brown trout run is on- going in good numbers in the Lewis River channel, but the snow is deep! Cross country skis or snow shoes may help, but the park discourages going there under present weather conditions. Fishing the brown-rainbow run in the Madison River is different with crowds and passable roads to a point. For certain, the Firehole River features very good fishing but the problem is getting there. The brown trout run up the Gardner River should come on soon, but so will the crowds.

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Big Lost River, October 12th, 2021

Less than 100 cfs is flowing out of Mackay Dam making for good wading conditions, but tough weather conditions are present. Little traffic will be coming from the Ketchum-Sun Valley area because of road conditions on Trail Creek Summit. Some discolor is present in the water, but BWOs and midges are emerging, so life cycle patterns for these will work. So will woolly bugger types and nymphs in singles or tandem rigs.

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South Fork, October 12th, 2021

The storm will make back country roads along the river a bit difficult. But this situation is only temporary, and days of good fishing will remain for weeks to come. Windfall of this early storm is that it begins the water storage year in the drainage as snow will likely stay at higher elevations, and it adds acre-feet to in-line reservoirs. Flow in the river is at normal levels for this time of year (3540 cfs at Irwin, 4140 cfs at Heise,1790 cfs at Lorenzo) and usual activity (presenting BWO, mahogany dun, midge life cycle, double nymph rigs, streamer patterns) continues.

A tip from Jimmy G. is that on seeing rising fish in good numbers, presenting soft hackle patterns of taking could bring happy results.

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Henry’s Fork, October 12th, 2021

The challenge now will be getting to the river to fish especially in the Island Park area! October storms like this has happened before, and after it passes a lot of good fishing will remain. BWO and midge activty will offer top water fishing and presenting streamer patterns will become increasingly effective. Another “plus” coming from this weather is that it will help clear aquatic vegetation ffom All waters.

Here are excerpts from Dr. Rob Van Kirk’s update for today on water conditions in the Henry’s Fork drainage. There is some welcome info here to begin the water storage year.

Headlines:  

  • The current winter storm over our area is over-achieving, producing 0.55 inch of water equivalent watershed-wide and the coldest temperatures since April.
  • Natural flow dropped a little yesterday in response to colder temperatures, as yesterday’s precipitation fell as snow at all elevations.
  • At an outflow of around 125 cfs, Island Park Reservoir gained 662 ac-ft yesterday, 100 of which was due to direct precipitation on the reservoir surface. The reservoir is 48% full and equal to the 1978-2021 average.

Details:

Precipitation yesterday exceeded expectations, with even more falling after midnight and continuing this morning. Through midnight, water-equivalent totals ranged from 0.02 inch at Ashton to 1.4 inches at Lewis Lake Divide, with a watershed average of 0.55 inch. Mean temperature yesterday was 32.8 degrees F, 6 degrees below average and the coldest since April 20. Precipitation fell as snow at all elevations, and all SnoTel stations are reporting snow on the ground this morning, ranging from 0.2 inch to 1.7 inches of water equivalent. Snow is expected to continue on and off through Thursday, with Friday morning’s low temperatures well down into the teens in most locations. Dry weather with a slow warming trend is expected over the weekend, which will melt most snow at the low and mid-elevations. Above-average temperatures are expected next week.

Natural flow dropped a little yesterday to 75% of average due to colder weather. Meanwhile, diversion dropped by nearly 100 cfs yesterday, so supply now exceeds demand by over 1100 cfs, the highest it has been since early June.

At an outflow of around 125 cfs, Island Park Reservoir gained 662 ac-ft yesterday, nearly 100 ac-ft of which was due to direct precipitation on the reservoir surface. The reservoir is 48% full and only 118 ac-ft below average for the date. However, the upper Snake River reservoir system as a whole continues to draft and is only 9% full.

As a final note this morning on streamflow at both Ashton and Island Park, which are critical to natural-flow calculations, I suspect that the current gaged flow at Ashton is lower than actual flow and that my estimate of Island Park flow based on our measurement last Friday is a little high. We will measure flow at both locations this Friday to get better estimates. Changes in the stream gage rating curves are large relative to actual flow in the river right now, as aquatic vegetation is decaying quickly and moving out of the stream channel.

Rob Van Kirk, Ph.D.

Senior Scientist

Henry’s Fork Foundation

P.O. Box 550

Ashton, ID 83420

208-652-3567 OFFICE

208-881-3407 CELL

208-652-3568 FAX

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Yellowstone Park, October 9th, 2021

The Hebgen Lake run-up fish are moving through the Madison River and the crowds are building anywhere within from Baker’s Hole to the Gibbon-Firehole River confluence. If you venture to the river to enjoy these browns and rainbows, bring you tolerance for folks who are either impolite or not understanding of on the stream etiquette. The Firehole River still offers good top water fishing with BWOs and some white millers, but watch the weather.

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South Fork, October 9th, 2021

Palisades Reservoir is down to 6% of capacity, and that is the reason for dropping flows in the river below (now 3490 cfs at Irwin, 4280 cfs at Heise, 1680 at Lorenzo). More drops in flow are coming. Nevertheless, the river offers a variety of good fishing from top and near-top water with BWO, mahogany dun and caddis life cycle patterns being effective. Streamers and woolly bugger types are becoming more productive as the fall season advances. Don’t let the current unsettled weather stop you from trying any of these types of fishing as each picks up under unsettled weather conditions.

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Henry’s Lake, October 9th, 2021

The current weather is just what is needed to improve fishing success here. With cooler water (a few weeks ago water temps were close to 60 deg. F) fish will become more active and move to shallower water, weeds will breakup, and algae diminish. Fairly soon the best season for fishing the lake is developing and it should live up to its reputation and offer good fall fishing.

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Henry’s Fork, October 5th, 2021

BWOs and early in the day trico in small sizes (#18-22) and mahogany duns are making for good near-the-top or top water fishing almost anywhere on the river. While presenting hopper patterns will soon begin to diminish in being effective as cold weather settles in, consider that presenting streamer patterns will become increasingly effective in Box Canyon, the Tubs and anywhere on the lower river where brown trout are present.

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