Even though they have been drawn down, many southeast Idaho irrigation reservoirs are offering good fishing. Boat launch facilities on Chesterfield, Twenty-Four Mile and Mackay Reservoirs are above water, but accessible to flotation devices. Some, including Daniels Reservoir can be fished from all kinds of boats and also from shore.
Flow in the river has dropped to the point that there are many locations for walk-in wade fishing. We can help pinpoint some to try. Float fishing is a good choice to cover a lot of water, and all boat launch sites are open from the Henry’s Fork confluence to American Falls Reservoir. Again, we can suggest stretches of river to try by boating. Brown trout are active throughout, so presenting streamer patterns is producing.
Freeze-up could happen any day now. Water temperature is in the low 40s in Deg. F., and days are getting colder. Cold, wind free nights will do the trick. After ice is thick enough, ice fishing gear will be the way to go. For now shallows around the lake are where to fish.
On the lower river, Box Canyon, Cardiac Canyon holes and runs deep, and the Tubs, presenting streamer patterns is the name of the game. If you favor top water fishing, BWO life cycle patterns provide the best action.
More information from Dr, Rob Van Kirk on Henry’s Fork drainage water status follows.
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Moderate precipitation continued yesterday at all locations, averaging 0.4 inch across the watershed. Precipitation was uniformly distributed across the watershed, and even valley areas received 0.2-0.3 inch. This pushed the water-year total to date to 3.63 inches, compared with the long-term average of 2.75 inches for the whole month of October. Temperatures dropped yesterday to 2 degrees F below average, the coolest in 11 days. As a result, most of the SnoTel stations gained new snow water equivalent (SWE) yesterday. White Elephant, Black Bear, and Grand Targhee each have over 1 inch of SWE on the ground. Small chances of precipitation continue on and off over the next week, with temperatures staying near average.
Watershed-total natural flow has increased by 330 cfs (17%) since Friday, with most of that increase occurring Monday and yesterday. Although streamflow in headwater areas peaked yesterday, some of that is still making its way to the lower watershed this morning. Natural flow yesterday was 89% of average for the date, and cumulative natural flow for the water year to date has increased a percentage point to 75% of average. Diversion incidentally increased by around 30 cfs yesterday due to higher river stage and was 93% of average. Total diversion for the irrigation year to date—which ends on Sunday—is 92% of average.
At an average outflow of 124 cfs, Island Park Reservoir gained 781 ac-ft yesterday. Around 110 ac-ft of that gain was due to direct precipitation on the reservoir surface. The reservoir is 55% full, compared with 53% full on average. Over the next day or two, fill rate will gradually drop back to around 550 ac-ft/day, where it was prior to the recent precipitation event.
Rob Van Kirk, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
P.O. Box 550
Ashton, ID 83420
208-652-3567 OFFICE
208-881-3407 CELL
208-652-3568 FAX
Good fishing continues any way you may choose: wading, slow trolling, or spot fishing from a boat. Concentrate efforts in shallow water. The State Park area and round the county boat dock will be crowded, and so will any location where fishing is good. This time of the season the amount of crowding depends a lot on the weather.
With only 45 cfs coming out of Mackay Dam, fish in the river below will be concentrated in deepest holes and wading will be easy. Crowding is not the best situation for the fish, but BWO activity will bring them to the surface where BWO life cycle and soft hackled patterns will be effective.
Want to fish in the park? You’d better hurry: there are only six days left to join the crowds on the Madison and the Gardner Rivers. The Firehole River still offers good top or near top water fishing,but getting there could be a bit “iffy” because of road and weather conditions. Check with the park website for current road conditions to the Firehole and also to the Lewis River where the best concentration almost anywhere of migrating brown trout is ongoing.
Flow out of Palisades Dam was reduced yesterday to 1320 cfs ( now 2030 cfs at Heise, 700 cfs at Lorenzo ). Flow this low can de-water many side channels. Especially from Lorenzo on down, wading is the best way to approach the river. BWOs still offer good top water fishing, but presenting streamers and woolly bugger types is gaining in being effective.
As is our usual practice, excerpts from Dr. Rob Van Kirk’s Monday AM analysis of the Henry’s Fork drainage water status are given below.
REPORT NOTE: USBR data sites are down for maintenance this morning, so diversion, streamflow and reservoir data are current only through Saturday. I’ve filled in missing data for USBR weather stations with data from the nearest non-USBR stations.
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Mean temperature last week was 3 degrees F above average. At 8 degrees F above average, Friday was the warmest day since October 6. Precipitation for the week-—most of which has fallen in the past two days—was highly variable across the watershed, ranging from a few hundredths in the valley locations to 1.3 inches at White Elephant. The Centennial Range and Yellowstone Plateau areas have received by far the highest totals thus far during the much-anticipated atmospheric river event that is bringing heavy precipitation to most areas of the West. Lewis Lake Divide, Black Bear, White Elephant and Crab Creek all received over 0.6 inch of water equivalent last week. Because of warm temperatures, new snow accumulation has been limited to the highest elevations, where Black Bear and Grand Targee have 1.7 inches and 2.5 inches, respectively, of snow water equivalent on the ground–around 80% of average for the date. Precipitation is expected to continue today and tomorrow, with somewhat cooler temperatures arriving this afternoon.
Watershed-total natural flow and diversion stayed around 75% of average until rain on Friday night and Saturday morning increased streamflow in Fall River by 40 cfs or so. Streamflow in the Teton River is also increasing a bit this morning.
We measured outflow from Island Park Reservoir at 114 cfs on Friday. For the week ending Saturday, mean outflow was 110 cfs, and the reservoir gained an average of 549 ac-ft/day. Projecting that gain through the end of yesterday, the reservoir is 54% full, compared with 52% full on average.
Rob Van Kirk, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
P.O. Box 550
Ashton, ID 83420
208-652-3567 OFFICE
208-881-3407 CELL
208-652-3568 FAX
Fishing is improving as water has cooled off to temperatures in the lower 40s in degrees F. Fish are moving to shallows everywhere around the lake. Traditional patterns presented with slow sinking or intermediate lines are effective and also presented using a floating line and under an indicator, Watch the upcoming weather, and dress accordingly.