Lake Powell - Report from May 30 courtesy of Dan Keller on www.wayneswords.net. Water temp 73 F, lake elevation 2,560.22 MSL (and rising). May is one of the best months to catch walleye at Lake Powell. In fact, it’s one of the best months to catch most all the sport fish at Powell. I say most, because in my opinion, the best time for stripers is later in the year when boils start.  

Wayne Gustaveson wrote a detailed article on walleye information and tips. Using many of the tips from the article, we recently had success catching walleye using mostly curly tails on 1/8-ounce jigs tipped with a worm. We also did well trolling shallow divers near cobble bars and shallow underwater humps that came up to 10-15 feet. One of the best lures was a Berkley flicker shad (fire tiger color). We spent one evening just before dark and the following morning targeting walleye. We camped in the back of the Escalante Arm and fished the cloudy water near our camp. Ended up catching 30 walleye. Not too bad considering we only targeted them for around 4-5 hours.  

We also found plenty of smallmouth bass up shallow on their beds. The best bait we found was a watermelon Senko rigged with Wacky rig hook and O-ring (the O-ring saves lots of baits). We tried the muddy water with little success but did better a few hundred yards out where the water was just cloudy. 

I like to drop a jig from the surface and note where it disappears. I have found 6-12 inches of visibility is a good range and offers walleye the right amount of protection for their light sensitive eyes, yet enough visibility to feed effectively. Bottom bouncers using a worm harness is a great choice when the water is more on the muddy side. The walleye’s lateral line and olfactory senses (vibration and smell) help them key in on the spinner and worm working slowing along the bottom. 

In general, bass fishing will be better where water clears up. This could be the back of a canyon or the mouth. With the lake being at record lows early this year and now rapidly filling, sediment and debris flows are different, so be prepared to try new areas if your regular ones aren’t producing.

Our fall gill net survey showed walleye numbers at Good Hope are far greater than other sites we monitor. The north end of the lake, Bullfrog up to Good Hope Bay, is where you are more likely to find walleye. But the survey also showed that in 2022, the number of walleye at Wahweap increased significantly. Time will tell if that trend continues. If you catch a random walleye while bass fishing, mark the location and return early in the morning or as the sun is setting, as this will really increase your odds of catching more walleye. Get out and enjoy!