May 17, 2008 - Water Is Off This Morning

[Phil Lilley]

Ran up to the dam and took some pics...

[Phil Lilley]

[Phil Lilley]

Lots more gravel down thru outlet #2, just like Leonard said. Lake isn't very deep and the #2 outflow extends out further. I doubt if #2 attracts the trout it used to.

I didn't walk down to rebar but it looks, from the pic from the top of the dam, that there's a new shoot down from the original shoot but it doesn't look very wide. The point looks like it's extended downstream and the Big Hole probably is filled in. If it is, the water will move thru this area alittle faster I'd think.

But keep in mind, the water level is lower because of the boards being removed at Powersite Dam.

I haven't been out in a boat yet- that's my next move. Babler said it's a different world up there. I bet it is.

BUT I know the gravel bars above FC are exposed to the sun right now... same problem we've had in the past with the lake being drawn down. This will kill at least the scuds if they don't run some water today.

[Danoinark]

Looks like a totally different place...amazing.

Dano

[duckydoty]

It figures they shut her down just as soon as I leave.

duckydoty

[Phil Lilley]

Remember, the boards are off so this is NOT normal pool but I think these dock owners may have problems with their docks when everything gets back to normal.

Above Short Creek.

The flats. I got out and walked this flat and it's CLEAN gravel- no bugs. There are midge larva though but no scuds.

This is the bank along the east side of the Narrows. It's washed out and gravel and clay and exposed some rock ledges. The channel seems to be deeper here.

This is the bank in front of Andy's place. The bank drops off into deep water now and the point in front of the white house below Andy's house is not there anymore. It's a deep hole.

Fished a #16 dirty gray scud along the bluff bank and caught 2 nice trout- this brown and a rainbow alittle larger.

Rolan was catching alot of trout using his "mink" weighted scud along the bluff bank. This was an 18 incher.

Bill was up there doing very well using micro jigs under a float.

2 horns blew about 10 am.

[Trav]

The lake always fishes better with 2 to 4 generators running. But that is the perspective of a Lower Lake fisherman.

I wish I could take pics of the changes here on the Lower but the most significant ones are between 15 and 30 feet of water. Like Bill says, "A different world" now.

It has turned the intimidating animal that the Lower is known for and turned it into a monster.

And I say this with a lifetime of experiance. Brownie fishing wont be the same down here for a long while.

Its gonna be a back to school experiance this summer for me.

At least there still is the predictability of the warm water species.