01-03-2022, 02:25 PM
With the cold temps the past week, ice has shot down reservoir and as of last Friday extended to just above Currant Creek. The thicker sheet (about 6-inches) ends just below the Confluence and Forest Service Road 11. Roads were good with minimal snowpack. I fished two days in the Confluence and here's a quick report.
Ice was variable, ranging from 3-6 inches. Some spots recently froze, and were obviously thinner, and I don't recall so much variability in this reach of the reservoir. Main channel depths in this area are about 55ft, and that's what we targeted for lake trout. We did well both days using a variety of tactics, with some of us catching limits (12-fish). My best success was using a Clam Tikka Minnow in 3/8 oz and glow, followed by a Dry Creek Outfitters 3.5 inch tube jig in White Lightning color. Both were tipped with sucker or sculpin. The active fish were suspended 10-40ft which hit the jigged Tikka. All of the hits came on the fall. My counterparts also had similar success using other brands of jigging raps and spoons. I did coherence some fish on the bottom, but they were more finicky and prone to hitting the tube jig. Most of the fish ranged 18-22 inches.
I also caught some nice bows and cutts ranging from 15-22 inches. Some were caught just under the ice while fishing for lake trout. We also targeted them in 10-20ft of water along shore which provided better catch rates. I used a Berkley Atomic tube in both white and chartreuse tipped with meal worm.
I've heard similar success stories in this reach and also further uplake around Sage Creek. Burbot fishing reports have been slow so far, but I expect they'll pick-up as ice grows down reservoir and opens up new opportunities.
Hope it helps, Ryno
Ice was variable, ranging from 3-6 inches. Some spots recently froze, and were obviously thinner, and I don't recall so much variability in this reach of the reservoir. Main channel depths in this area are about 55ft, and that's what we targeted for lake trout. We did well both days using a variety of tactics, with some of us catching limits (12-fish). My best success was using a Clam Tikka Minnow in 3/8 oz and glow, followed by a Dry Creek Outfitters 3.5 inch tube jig in White Lightning color. Both were tipped with sucker or sculpin. The active fish were suspended 10-40ft which hit the jigged Tikka. All of the hits came on the fall. My counterparts also had similar success using other brands of jigging raps and spoons. I did coherence some fish on the bottom, but they were more finicky and prone to hitting the tube jig. Most of the fish ranged 18-22 inches.
I also caught some nice bows and cutts ranging from 15-22 inches. Some were caught just under the ice while fishing for lake trout. We also targeted them in 10-20ft of water along shore which provided better catch rates. I used a Berkley Atomic tube in both white and chartreuse tipped with meal worm.
I've heard similar success stories in this reach and also further uplake around Sage Creek. Burbot fishing reports have been slow so far, but I expect they'll pick-up as ice grows down reservoir and opens up new opportunities.
Hope it helps, Ryno
