LAKES AND RESERVOIRS
Being a small town in the middle of nowhere, we also provide fishing reports for the non-flyrodder. So in the reports below, you will see references to baits and terminal tackle in addition to flies and fly fishing techniques.
| WATER | REPORT AS OF September 14, 2016 | RECOMMENDED FLIES |
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WILDHORSE RESERVOIR The lake has cleared up nicely from the algae bloom a couple of weeks ago. The lake is a little over 40% of capacity and the state park boat ramp is still usable, but larger boats will want to use caution. Fishing has been slow for all species. Trollers are having the best luck, but it is still slow to fair for them as well. Fly fishermen are having some luck with black or olive wooly buggers, leeches, damsel fly nymphs and hares ears under an indicator. Gear anglers should be using minnow type imitations in fire tiger, black over white and blue over white. The usual PowerBait or worms are working best first thing in the morning or later in the evening for trout. Bass fishing has been slow and fishing for catfish has been fair for numbers good for size. Expect trout fishing to start picking up with the cooler water temperatures. |
Mohair leeches, wooly buggers, BH Crystal buggers, hare's ears, chironomids. |
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SOUTH FORK RESERVOIR The algae bloom of a couple of weeks ago is starting to clear with the colder weather, wind and rain that we have experienced. Fishing on the west side was slow while fishing at the south end on the east side was fair. In that area anglers were catching a mix of bass and trout. Water temperatures have dropped into the low to mid 60’.Trout are moving up into the water column and anglers report catching them five to eight feet deep. The usual wooly buggers, seal buggers and leech patterns as well as the more common nymphs are all effective. Closer to October expect chironomids to become much more effective. This is the time of year that anglers can have good luck for both bass and trout as they both start to feed more aggressively in preparation for winter and the ideal water temperatures for them cross paths.
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Mohair leeches, wooly buggers, BH crystal buggers, hare's ears, chironomids, midge emergers, damsel/dragonfly nymphs. |
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WILSON RESERVOIR The road is in good shape and trout fishing has been fair to good, with bass fishing good for numbers but fair for size. The lake is about 60% of capacity and the boat ramp is usable. The water is clearing here and the water quality is good. Trout were being caught from the boat ramp through the campground. Not many holding in the cabin area. Fly rodders are having luck with olive buggers and leech patterns as well as damsel nymphs. Mayfly nymphs and emergers are also still effective in late afternoons. PowerBait and worms are also working along the western shoreline for trout. Bass fishing has been good with anglers catching many in the eight to ten inch size, just not many keepers. |
wine mohair leeches, olive wooly buggers, olive or black BH crystal buggers, hare's ears, chironomids, damsel/dragonfly nymphs. |
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ANGEL LAKE The trout are starting to move back up into the water column. Several anglers report good days on dries, especially Adams. Fly rodders should be using anything olive or with peacock for nymphs and buggers, while red or yellow are the preferred colors for the bodies of dry flies. The usual worms or PowerBait are both successful here. Small spinners in black and gold, green and gold and black and red are effective. |
Adams, Yellow Stimulators, red or yellow humpies, EH Caddis, hoppers, small wooly/crystal buggers, olive soft hackles, Carey's Special, hare's ears. |
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ILLIPAH Fishing has been good first thing in the morning for anglers and the water level, while lower, is still good. A few anglers report 20-30 fish mornings starting at sunup and fishing until about 10:00 am. Most anglers have been using worms, PowerBait, and spinners. Hares ears, damsel fly nymphs, sheep creek specials, and olive or black wooly buggers are the ticket for fly fishermen. Browns should start becoming more active as we get closer to their spawn in late September, early October.
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Damsel/Dragonfly nymphs, BH Prince, olive soft hackles, BH olive crystal buggers, chironomids |
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Cave Lake Fishing has been fair to good for 10 to 13 inch fish. Small wooly buggers and the usual nymphs such as prince, hares ears and pheasant tail nymphs should all work. Damsel fly nymphs in olive or tan are working as well. Spinners in gold, black or dark green with contrasting spots on them have been working as well. A 10 lb. brown was caught late in the evening a few weeks ago. Worms under a bobber, or PowerBait floated off of the bottom using a slip sinker are both good ways to fish this lake.
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Cave Lake Specials, small crystal buggers, Griffith's gnats, Adams, elk hair caddis, mosquito patterns. |
STREAMS
| WATER | REPORT AS OF SEPT. 14, 2016 | RECOMMENDED FLIES |
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SOUTH FORK OF THE HUMOLDT RIVER ABOVE SOUTH FORK RESERVOIR The flows are very low (5 cfs)and there are few trout holding in the stream as most have escaped to the reservoir. |
Brown, oliveand black wooly buggers with red flash, hares ears, midge patterns(nymph and cripples), hoppers, beetles and ants. |
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SOUTH FORK OF THE HUMBOLDT RIVER BELOW SOUTH FORK RESERVOIR Flows are also low here (7 cfs) and fish are holding in pools further down in the canyon. NDOW salvaged wipers and smallmouth out of the pools just below the spillway. Anglers will do better towards the confluence of Dixie Creek |
Brown, oliveand black wooly buggers with red flash, hares ears, midge patterns(nymph and cripples), hoppers, beetles and ants. |
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EAST FORK OF THE OWYHEE Flows are below average at approximatel 7 cfs. Fishing has been slow due to the low flows. Fish the holes and any beaver ponds you can find in the canyon.
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elk hair caddis, October caddis nymphs, beetles, ants, PT's, hares ears and beadhead prince nymphs. |
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BRUNEAU RIVER The Bruneau has seen an increase in flows flows due to the recent precipitation. Once the stream clears expect fishing to be good. Dry fly fishing using hoppers or yellow stimulators is good. Look for pools and beaver ponds for best fishing, though a few streams may still fish fairly well even with the lower flows. Anglers continue to report good fishing for tiger trout in the upper
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Stimulators, EH Caddis, hoppers, beetles, ants, flashback PT's, hare's ears, October Caddis Nymphs. |
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WEST FORK OF JARBIDGE Flows here are just above normal at 6.5 cfs and fishing has been good. Redbands around town (both above and below), whitefish about 1.5 to 2 miles downstream from town and bull trout about 2 miles from the USFS campgrounds at roads end. |
Hoppers, beetles, ants, yellow or olive stimulators, elk hair caddis, hare's ears. |
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LAMOILLE CREEK Flows are about a third of normal and fish are holding in pools and beaver dams. Skittish, with most of the upper half of the creek getting most of the pressure due to access. Lower half is harder to get to due to the brush and not fished as hard and has more water. |
Mosquitos, hoppers, beetles, ants, EH Caddis, red/yellow humpy's, BH Prince nymphs, hare's ears, zug bugs. |
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