Lees Ferry Report


by Arizona Game & Fish Department
5-26-2024
Website

 Report courtesy of Lees Ferry Anglers at https://leesferry.com/river-report/. Water temperature was 51.62-53.96 F and discharge rate 7,250-10,300 cfs on 5/20/2024. April 16 report from guide Kevin Campbell:

Fly Fishing Report: Fishing success is picking up. A combination of techniques has been working. Swinging streamers on long sinking tips continues to produce. After a slower than usual March, the midges have returned and the fish are taking notice. Drifting from the boat, a trusted method, is reliable. Nymphing deep runs with eggs, and midges is always working well with a 9- to 11-foot heavy rig. Additionally, a mid-depth setup of 5 to 8 feet with scuds or double midge patterns had proven successful. Shallow fish are showing up in riffle seams and tailouts. Dry/ dropper rigs with a single bead-headed midge are easy to cast and are productive. Rainbows are spawning in limited numbers and started later than a typical year.

 

Wading: Dry/ dropper rigs and shallow double nymph rigs are both working. Midge hatches have been heavy one day and very sparse the next. During heavy hatch days, the fish will definitely take a midge dropper below a dry fly and might even take the dry. Recent success on dries has been on Parachute Adams and stimulators. On days where the midge hatches are stingy, a double nymph rig of combinations of scuds, worms, eggs and midges is the ticket. In addition to nymphs, swinging and/or casting and retrieving streamers like Wooly Buggers, muddlers and leaches is working very well. This is done with a sink-tip fly line or sinking leader depending on depth and current speed. Favorite buggers include olive, black/ wine and peacock/ black and brown.

Boat drifting: Drifting from the boat has been about bigger flies with large orange, pink or ginger scuds and red, tan, and brown San Juan worms. A-9 foot 4X leader, with flies tied on 4X tippet about 16 inches apart does the trick. Weight can vary from 1/2 gram to 2 grams depending on depth and current speed. Depth, like weight, varies on conditions; typically, from 6-9 feet from weight to strike indicator.





More Reports

Arizona Game & Fish Department Reports
for Sunday, May 26th
Woodland Reservoir: Fishing is fair
Silver Creek AZ: Fishing is rated good
Show Low Lake: Fishing is great for bluegill and trouT
Greer Lakes: Fishing is fair, very weedy this spring
Big Lake: Big Lake has had a good start to the 2024 season
Becker Lake: Fishing is rated fair
Knoll Lake: Road access (FR300) to Knoll Lake is now open
Lake Powell: Lake Powell Report

Arizona Game & Fish Department Reports
for Monday, April 29th

Kaibab Lake: Kaibab Lake Report
Cataract Lake: The lake is full
City Reservoir: The road into City Reservoir is now open
Dogtown Lake: Dogtown Lake Report
Santa Fe Lake: The lake is full and spilling over
Whitehorse Lake: Whitehorse Lake Report
Upper & Lower Lake Mary: Upper and Lower Lake Mary Report
Francis Short Pond: The city has repaired and installed a new aeration system
Ashurst Lake: Ashurst Lake is reportedly fishing well
Kinnikinick Lake: Kinnikinick Report
Lake Pleasant: Lake Pleasant Fishing Report
Saguaro Lake: Saguaro Lake Report
Bartlett Lake: Bartlett Lake Report
Blue Ridge Reservoir: Blue Ridge Reservoir Report
Alamo Lake: Bead fishing should be picking up
Lake Havasu: Lake Havasu Fishing Report