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For sheer spectacle there is no lake like Lake Powell. This sprawling giant, almost 200 miles long, and 266 square miles of water surface is the second largest impoundment of water in the United States (slightly smaller than Lake Mead in storage capacity).

Snow levels in the Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico mountains over the last several years have been unusually high. This area provides water for the Colorado River and has kept Lake Powell at near full pool since the early summer of 1995, the lake rose 55 feet during the months of May and June, providing the highest water level since 1986. The inflowing water flooded 9 years of tumbleweed, tamarisk and cottonwood growth. You can imagine the new habitat wonderland, full of shad, crawdads and sunfish, the bass are enjoying. Presently Lake Powell is one of the country's best bass fisheries.

Largemouth bass are shallow water fish. They are programmed to live around aquatic vegetation, submerged trees and brush. They don't do as well when they make their home around rocks. Having three consecutive years of high water and flooded brush has allowed excellent spawning survival rates for the largemouth. According to Wayne Gustaveson, the Lake Powell Fisheries Biologist for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the largemouth population is at an all time high. There are numerous fish in the 1 to 2 pound range and three to six pounders are also plentiful.

The high water has ben good for the smallmouth as well. Smallmouth were first planted in Lake Powell in 1982. Because of their rock oriented habitat needs they have done extremely well in Lake Powell's rocky waters. Almost any rock slide or rocky point along the 143 miles from Wahweap to Hite, or in any slide canyon, will yield 1 to 2 pound fish with an occasional 2 to 3 pounder. In mid-October of this year, Don Iovino caught a smallmouth in the Warm Creek area that would be a new lake record. It weighed right at 6 pounds. He didn't know the fish was a new lake record when he released it, but he has kicked himself a few times since!

As long as the water level remains high, Lake Powell will continue to turn out prolific numbers of bass. During the last two years, participants in April tournaments have needed around 25 pounds for a 7 fish limit to win. The forecasts look good for 1998. If you have never been on this scenic fishery, now is the time to make your plans.

Top Areas

In any lake, some areas provide more productive fishing than others. For reasons unknown to most of us, the fish just don't live in some parts of Lake Powell. A good portion of Last Chance Bay is like this. Lake Powell is so big and massive that most anglers have a hard time finding the most productive areas. These areas have been selected by professional bass fishermen who fish Lake Powell on a regular basis. These rankings are based on the present water level, 3690' above sea level. Here are the top ten bass fishing locations.

1. Halls Creek/Bullfrog Creek

This area has everything to provide ideal habitat for largemouth and smallmouth bass. It probably has the highest bass population of any part of the lake. The north ends of both Halls and Bullfrog have stained, fertile water flowing in the lake. The fertile water provides good plankton growth, which feeds the forage, which feeds the bass. Many tournaments are run out of Bullfrog Marina, the second largest marina on the lake, and the larger fish from the central and northern areas of the lake are released here. Both Halls and Bullfrog have large flats with deep nearby cuts. They also have plenty of rocky drop-offs for smallmouth. The west side of the upper northern half or Halls has 6 or 8 side canyons with partially submerged cottonwoods that hold a lot of 4 to 6 pound largemouth. Drop a jig down to the base of these trees and hang on! The northwest end of Bullfrog is also good. Halls and Bullfrog are big expanses of water that provide all types of structure and can take a lot of fishing pressure.

2. Wahweap Bay/Warm Creek Bay

Wahweap Marina, the largest marina on the lake, hosts quite a few tournaments, and fish from the San Juan and the central part of the lake are released here. Lots of bass lurk in these placid waters. This area has similar geologic features to the Halls and Bullfrog area - big flats with deep creek channels and lots of submerged brush. The north side of Wahweap Bay and the west side of Warm Creek have many long, slowly dropping channels and it is sometimes hard to pinpoint the bass. To effectively fish this area you need to use baits that cover a lot of water quickly, like spinnerbaits and deep crankbaits. During summertime and fall, this is great topwater country. This is big water and can take a lot of boats.

3. Upper San Juan River

The San Juan River arm is consistently one of the best areas of the lake for smallmouth bass. It was one of the original places stocked with smallmouth back in 1984. It is out of the main fishing traffic and receives the nutrient inflows from the San Juan River, which produces good growth rates. From the Great Bend up to Piute Farms seems to produce the best. The middle reaches of the San Juan are popular with serious bass fishermen but can't take a lot of fishing pressure. A dozen boats can shut down the bite in a hurry. It is also known for having moody fish. For unknown reasons they can bite like they are hungry one day, and the very next day, you can't buy a bite. From the mouth of the San Juan to the back is about 40 miles and can strain the fuel capacity of just about any boat. If you run out of either Wahweap or Bullfrog it is about 100 miles each way. But, it is usually worth the rise as some of the lake's largest smallies live here. They seem to prefer the areas having rounded, river washed rock. I saw a 7 fish tournament limit of smallies come out of here last spring that weighed over 21 pounds.

4. Good Hope Bay

Beginning at the 118 mile mark and continuing through Red Canyon at the 126 mile mark, Good Hope Bay provides a lot of fishing and can handle a lot of boats. Bigger than most California Lakes, this area abounds with deep channels, rock slides, and submerged brush and tumbleweeds. Largemouth and smallies both do well here. I've caught most of my largest smallies, ranging up to almost 5 pounds, here. This area seems to be a consistent year round producer. The left side of the mouth of Ticaboo Canyon has some huge broken rock that always produces lots of smallies and an occasional largemouth. Red Canyon and Blue Notch are good producers as well.

5. Mouth of the San Juan including Reflection, Llewellyn and Cottonwood Canyons

Near Jacks Arch are two parallel bays that provide ideal habitat for largemouth and smallmouth. The largemouth stay more towards the back while the smallmouth live out front. I've never seen a time when this area didn't produce some fish. However, it can't take much fishing pressure. Reflection, Llewellyn and Cottonwood Canyons are some of the choicest on the lake. The back 25 percent of all the canyons turn out some nice lunkers. Drop a darter head rigged bait, or a bait that falls well, along the vertical walls and watch out! The largemouth seem to live among the submerged cottonwood tree all the ay to the back of the canyons. Also fish the corners of all rock slides.

6. Upper Escalante River

The Escalante River is one of the most scenic areas on Lake Powell. The Escalante River drains Utah's Boulder mountains, that climb above 11,000 feet, and brings some of the colder water to the lake. Even though there are plenty of nutrients, the fish have a slower growth rate. It is known for having lots of smaller fish. The Escalante Arm is about 20 miles long and all rock slides along it course have fish. Throw a silver-colored Yamamoto grub or a crawdad-colored worm in each corner of the rock slide and watch for an immediate tap-tap-tap. The corners will produce 10 to 15 inch fish. Rarely do you find fish in the middle section s of rock slides, just the ends. At the upper end of the Escalante, each turn of the river has pockets of submerged brush which provide refuge for shad and will harbor 1 to 2 pound largemouth with an occasional 3 pounder. When you find area with shad, the largemouth will be lurking on the choice vantage points surrounding the area.

7. Lower Hite: including Fourmile, Twomile, Trachyte, White and Farley Canyons

This area has stained water from the Colorado River and provides a good growth rate. It produces some big largemouth and smallmouth. My biggest smallmouth caught on Powell, weighing almost 5 pounds, came on the rocks across from Fourmile. The back of all these canyons have a lot of submerged brush. When the bass are not hitting surface baits, you have to coax them out by fishing a Texas rigged worm or Yamamoto grub down in the bushes. There is a lot of water here to fish and it can take some pretty heavy fishing pressure, but it is sure a long ways to run.

8. Rincon Area and Iceberg Canyon

The Rincon has long been known as a producer of bass. The two big south coves provide a lot of spawning area and seem to keep the area well supplied with bass. It is not known as a big fish area but seems to produce good numbers of fish. One to three pound fish are fairly typical. The north wall has several miles of huge car and house sized boulders and lots of small cuts. If you have a lot of baits to lose and enjoy fishing rock, then this is heaven. You can always pull a 5 fish limit out of here that will weigh 8 to 10 pounds. Iceberg Canyon is just around the corner from Rincon. It is one of the most majestic canyons on the lake and worth the boat ride just to see. it. If you can catch a fish in a here all the better, Iceberg is a steady producer of big fish, especially the middle channel. The left channel has a lot of deep submerged cottonwoods up to 80 feet tall.

9. Rock Creek Bay Area

This area consists of Dry Rock Creek, Middle Rock Creek and Rock Creek Canyon. The back portions of these canyons produce some nice largemouths. At the present water level this area has limited shoreline structure but many submerged rocky, bushy channels that run out into the lake as much as a quarter mile and hold a lot of fish. To fish these channels that are out from the shoreline, you need electronics. If you like looking at meters and graphs, you will do well. When the fish are deep this is an excellent area. After you leave the rear portions of these canyons, I've caught nothing but pesky little 8 to 10 inch smallmouth.

10. Knowles, Cedar and Sevenmile Canyons

The number ten choice is hard to make. There are many good single canyons on the lake that provide great fishing, but to choose one larger remain area that seems to concentrate fish, is a hard choice to make. Not because we are running out of water, but because the areas seem to be more equal. The north parts of Padre including Gunsight, the Oak Canyon area, and the Seeps (mile 74) all provide good fishing. But for he 10th choice, I will go with the upper part of the lake again. In my estimation, Knowles is one of the most beautiful canyons on the lake and also a good canyon to fish. While it has a dozen side canyons that produce good numbers of fish , it will rarely give you over a 3 pounder. Cedar and Sevenmile Canyons, however, are big fish producers. Three to six pounders are fairly common. You might not get the numbers that you will out of Knowles, but if you are after larger fish, start with Cedar, and then work Sevenmile. Again, the back 25 percent of these canyons are what you want to concentrate on.

As with any top ten list, a lot of subjective data and personal preferences abound. I'm not sure all bass fishermen will agree with the order f these ten choices, but most of their top choices will be included.

To keep these areas productive, please practice catch and release. If you want to eat some fish, try some striper.