Mackay Reservoir is being drained down to near river channel depth in order to do repairs on the ancient Mackay Dam. Thus IDF&G has placed a salvage order on the reservoir. Anyone salvaging fish must have a valid Idaho fishing license. Sport fishing methods, netting, archery and guddling ( using hands to capture fish) are legal means to harvest. Chemical and electrical means are illegal. On completion of dam repairs and subsequent reservoir filling, IDF&G will re-establish the reservoir trout population.
Nearly all our still waters are in the summer doldrums. Here is one with conditional exception if you have a flotation device and do not mind fishing early in the day or during evenings. That would be non-motorized Horseshoe Lake. Facilities here are totally primitive: no rest rooms, no developed camping/picnic area, no boat launch facility except the north side open shoreline. Why place this small lake on our fishing report? Because it is easily approached and is stocked each year with grayling ( and rainbow trout with holdovers being rare). The rainbow trout to grayling ratio is about 8 to 1, and a “braggin’ fish” grayling here is about 13″ long. They are active during AM spinner falls, damsel fly egg laying activity and PM speckled dun hatches. Use the lightest tackle you have and a floating line to present patterns imitating these life forms.
One gets to Horseshoe Lake by traveling the Cave Falls Road about five miles east into the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Just past the LDS church girl’s camp the turn-off to Horseshoe Lake is on the left side of the road and signed. The road is good enough for sedans and gently rises to the lake. Take a camera to capture the beauty of this rare salmonid.
There is not much for fishing success on our irrigation reservoirs during these dog days. There are, however, a few places you can have better fly fishing success and tranquility if you are willing to leave the beaten path. One of these is Aldous Lake above Kilgore. That fact alone offers that it will not be populated, except for a few locals. The Continental Divide is just above the lake. From Kilgore go west, take the first turn to the right and proceed to the Ching Creek Road. It ends at a parking lot/trail head. The walk to the lake, which is no more than a tarn, is a bit more than a mile with about the last half going uphill. Aldous features submerged springs making the water level and quality good enough to offer hold-over conditions for resident trout. Submerged vegetation hosts scuds and leeches galore.
It is best to pack a flotation device to get onto the lake because the timbered shoreline offers little room for back casting excepting a tiny area on the west shoreline. If speckled duns and damsel flies are active, you will have little problem attracting resident cutthroat trout featuring individuals exceeding twenty inches. No surface action? Try small leech or scud patterns or even fly rod jigs and use about a five-weight system to present these.
For most of our irrigation reservoirs the summer doldrums have arrived with dropping and warming water levels due to irrigation demands. This means fish will remain deep in order to have the coolest water. So fishing early in the day or going to the depths will bring best chances for action. Expect these conditions throughout the irrigation season, then as we cool by late summer and irrigation slows, these water bodies will offer much better fishing. We have heard, however, that Mackay Reservoir is providing some good fishing away from the inflow of discolored water.
If you are a still water enthusiast, the Sand Creek Ponds open today for non internal combustion engine aided float fishing. Expect crowds of floaters for a while at this easily reached and popular area. If you try these ponds, with Pond # 4 being the best, look for damsel fly, speckled dun and midge activity. So bring their life cycle patterns and use floating lines, strike indicators and long leaders to present these. Early AMs an evenings will be the best times for activity.
Still want to learn of some still waters not impacted by the summer doldrums? Take a look at our southwest Montana discussion.
South Fork tribs below Palisades Dam with cutthroat spawning runs open to fishing tomorrow. Some of these still have large cutthroat heading down to the river. Because these currently have cooler water, top water fishing will be slower than presenting such as nymph, small leech, and streamer patterns. The Willow Creek tribs also open to fishing tomorrow. Good locations for family fishing can be around any of the crossings with with wet flies being the best way to encounter trout. Willow Creek has been stocked with rainbow trout around these, but beaver ponds, until their water warms offer better fishing, and the Willow Creek drainage has many of these. More later on best strategies for fishing beaver ponds.
Windy times on Daniels Reservoir means fishing the edge of mud plumes with annelid and other such patterns can be effective. Kelly-Toponce Road is open, so boat launch area on Chesterfield Reservoir is easily approached. Reservoir water quality is good. Slow trolling and casting leech patterns using intermediate lines brings some success, but better fishing is ahead. The road to Twenty-Four Mile Reservoir is open. To date we have no info on fishing success there.
Let’s take a look at some small still waters in the area because many host some surprising trout. For example, both Snow Creek Pond and the Harriman Fish Pond host large holdover rainbow trout. Horseshoe Lake offers grayling, and Pauls Reservoir offers active cutthroat trout. Other than holdover trout, most of the hosted salmonids are small with a few ranging to moderate size. But being easily approached they are ideal for novices, the physically challenged, seniors, or just plain solitude. Closer to home and again ideal for a wide range off abilities the two Rider Park ponds off Sunnyside Road and Gem Lake can be considered. For youngsters, the Rexburg Kids and the Victor Kids ponds are safe and easily approached and annually stocked with catchable trout.
The Kelley-Toponce road will remain closed a bit longer limiting direct access to Chesterfield Reservoir facilities. Fishing is improving at Daniels Reservoir with midge pupa patterns under an indicator and small woolly bugger patterns being effective. Any day now damsel flies will be appearing in increasing numbers.Try slow trolling small black leech patterns using an intermediate line. Crowds are increasing, especially the nonresident component. All this applies to Hawkins Reservoir. We have no information on Twenty-four Mile Reservoir.
As waters warm fish will move to shallows to forage. This is beginning to taking place at such as Chesterfield, Daniels, and Hawkins Reservoirs. It’s a bit early for damselfly activity but midges emerging in shallower waters can bring activity. Just find the taking depth. Scud and snail patterns can also be effective. We have no information on whether Twenty-Four mile Reservoir can be approached,but you can expect plenty of angling company this weekend at any easily approached still water,
No word yet on 24-mile Reservoir fishing. Road going in likely needs to improve. Chesterfield Reservoir is ice-fee with slow fishing. Look for improvement around end of the month after it turns over. Roads are open to Treasureton Reservoir which is high and discolored. Daniels and Hawkins Reservoirs have improving fishing with midge pupa providing action until fish become gorged on such. Give streamers and woolly bugger types a try.
