Rainbow Stocking Report - PDF file
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Windsor Nature Discovery
Boise River
The riverriver fflows here are still running a little over average and spiking once in awhile but fairly steady and still fishable at around 280 cfs.. The warmest part of the day is still best for catching trout, including browns, and there are still some whitefish, and who knows maybe there is even a steelhead or two left to catch. Try a salmon egg or worm, or a fly like a Prince Nymph to catch both trout and whitefish. Spinners, drifting bait and flies will also catch the steelhead and a big juicy night crawler or dark colored fly in a leech pattern might catch just about anything.
Brownlee Reservoir
With warming water temperatures bass and crappie are starting to stage and anglers are catching some fish. Like I said last week this is a good time to catch a lunker so grab your gear and give it a whirl. Look for the crappie to be stacking up off secondary points and in coves anywhere from 10 to 40 feet down. The bass will be transitioning from deep water to shallower gravel and mud banks. The reservoir level continues to slowly rise and will be about 14 feet down for the weekend. All the major boat ramps are available.
Clear Lake
This little lake should still be fishing fairly well with plenty of stocked trout. But these fish aren't exactly pushovers, especially since by now they've seen all the usual stuff, so change it up a little. Either go real small or real big, see what happens. Try big Woolly Buggers or leech patterns or maybe tiny nymphs on a sinking line. I would give the good folks down at the Clear Lake Country Club a call before you go just to check fishing and weather conditions, (208) 543-4849.
C.J. Strike Reservoir
Anglers continue to catch crappie, trout, perch, bass, an occasional sturgeon and even a few catfish. It's not exactly red hot for anything, but with warm reasonably stable weather settling in the fishing should continue to improve, especially for crappie, perch and bass. That doesn't mean the trout fishing will suffer but the fish might start to move around a little more and be harder to find. Most anglers are locating crappie in the Narrows or up the Snake River between the Air Force docks and Goose Island. The fish are hanging out in about 15-20 feet but many are starting to move shallower. Just about any crappie jig will catch fish but tube-like jigs are working best. Bank anglers are still catching some trout along gravel banks, like near Black Sands, the Idaho Power North Park and occasionally up the Bruneau Arm at Jacks Creek, and even below the dam. Trollers are also still catching a few fish up towards the Narrows with small pop gear or Count Down Rapalas. A few perch are being caught in 15-25 feet. Cut bait works best but worms will do the trick. The bass are starting to venture out and again with warming temps they should be on the bite. A well-placed crawdad colored jig or jerkbaits and crankbaits paused over rock piles should shake up some smallmouth action. Look for largemouth to be sneaking along the tulles and back into the coves. Call the good folks down at The Fishin' Hole in Bruneau at 1-208-845-2001 for the latest information.
Local Ponds
Most of the Treasure Valley's ponds will be planted for awhile longer and with bass, bluegill and catfish getting hungry the fishing should be good in most of them.
Lucky Peak
Anglers have been catching trout from the bank for awhile now, and kokanee are also being targetted by boat anglers trolling to 40 feet. I've actually heard some folks catching them in less than 10 feet, but you gotta be good or lucky to pull that off this time of year. Most anglers are slow trolling small pop gear with a Wedding Ring trailer and a piece of Shoepeg Corn.
Malad River
This little river has been experiencing some spiking flows lately so it may be about time to focus elsewhere until things settle down. Just a little further down the road are the Oster Ponds near Hagerman, they're stocked and fishing fairly well.
Mt. View Reservoir (Duck Valley)
Ice fishing here is about over. Warmer than normal temperatures have melted the ice from the shoreline in most places making it difficult to find a safe place to ice fish. The good news is it won't be long until ice out and the fishing should be great! They're supposed to continue to get snow the rest of this week and it might make for treacherous road conditions so you might want to check the latest conditions by calling the Shoshone Paiute Tribal Office - Toll Free: (800) 761-9133.
Owyhee River
Bugs are popping and the fish are concentrated with low flows down to 30 cfs. This is great for fishermen but not so good for fish. They may take a few more days to adjust to the lower flows but with warmer temps come more insects so the feeding frenzy could be underway. If you go remember there are still redds in the riffles so try to avoid crossing in the shallows. Try using #18-22 BWO's, or midge patterns either dry or emerger. Fish the remaining open pools with the dries, or add a pheasant tail, gnat, or a tiny midge emerger as a dropper while fishing the ends of a tailout into the pools to catch fish. Skwala Stoneflies were showing up but the dropping flows and warmer temps may have put them off, but then again they may be going craze, don't know so check it out.
South Fork of the Boise River
The river flows are running at about 300 cfs. which is as good as it's going to get for wade fishing before spring. The fly fishing is still reasonably good but with a little more snow in the forecast it might be a little iffy dropping down into the canyon, so be careful. There will mostly be midges showing up but you will likely see a few BWO's showing up at different times of the day as well. Streamers will work or larger stoneflies followed by a Copper John. Key on the feeding fish for best results.
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