FG June 1 - 10

[SUP][/SUP]When we arrived in Manila on June 1 a guy at the gas station said they had fished hard for 4 days with no Kobes. He said the same dates the previous year they caught 50. Third hand knowledge.

Fishing was slow at first. We fished shallow w/ lead core and DRs, with 60 ft of mono leader on LC and 80 ft of drop on DRs. Friday, sat and Sunday were better w/ 6,4,5 caught. Friends arrived and we were down to catching dinner. On Thursday before we left yesterday we caught 7 nice cokes. Lots of folks at pipeline but we only caught babies there - shallow only. We fished sheep creek and hideaway area mostly.

We have a new thermometer and took temps at the Lucerne marina sat and the following Tuesday. Here are the depths, followed by Saturday’s and Tuesday’s temps. 20 ft; 54.5,57 25 ft; 54, 56 30 ft; 54, 57 40ft; 53, 54.5 50ft; 52, 53.5 60ft; 51, 53.5. Surface temps were 56 and 58. While we started fishing deeper the fishing didn’t improve until Thursday.

What worked?



Early success was with oranges and later success with blue. Almost all are bright colors and day glow components. Yes, that is a day glow grub half way up from lure. Don’t have the actual orange and blue lures with me, but several looked like the pink lure. Pink and chartreuse only caught fishermen this trip. Last seven fish caught 33 to 43. Good luck. Kokanee64

Thanks for the report kokanee64, glad to see you got into them. I receive mostly verbal reports that is not posted. Since last year reports have been a difficult challenge at the Gorge as well as other lakes. Some had good success while others struggled to get a bite.

Thanks for the detailed report.

We also heard conflicting reports. A well equipped party staying near us had zero luck for several days. Most of the people we talked to on land and water weren’t catching and there was lots of grousing about “something isn’t right” about the lake this year. We are new to FG and don’t have an opinion.

We had our best success very early in the morning. On days we caught fish, the early bite was best and we typically had a couple of fish in the box before anyone else showed up. It was quite difficult to figure out depths for best success because the bite was too slow. It often felt like an occasional random fish, at random depth, caught on a random lure. Everyone was struggling. I think most people don’t want to report disappointment. We were skunked 2 or 3 days; we’re used to it and don’t mind.

something isn't right

What is everyones' take on possible impact of the water draw down on fishing for kokes? The drop is clearly noticable when looking at the Lucerne camera. I know that still enough water in lake to support the fish but how might make things more difficult fishing? The Gorge has always been cyclic for kokes, and where are we on that cycle and/or how might it have changed?

This is a great topic. Im sure not a biologist for this lake or any other one for that matter. I dont think the Gorge has been on for the past few years. Very hit and Miss. The good old days are behind us I feel. So.............. What is contributing to this, I think its a number of factors, just not one or even two. I feel that there is far more pressure on the Gorge Each and every year. Lots of pressure to thin out the pup lakers and while im here, shoot, lets get us a limit or two of Kokes.

The Lakers, Yes, the Lakers. Obviously they are eating a great diet of Kokes, bows, cutts, other fry and whatever looks good at the time. I know many of us on here like to catch the big ones including me! Lets thin down these little ones as much as we can, that will help.

Burbot, LOL, we all know they are a bunch of pigs at the troth! Garbage disposals. They never stop eating until they are getting eatin! from Slurping eggs to 12-13 inch fish. they devour them!

Fisherman! yes, more and more of us coming from all over the western united states to fish this wonderful lake. We are keeping a boat load, no pun intended, of kokes and its taking its toll on the over all populations i think. Add this all up, I think that we can contribute all of these to less fish in the box each year.

Water levels? I think so, less water acreage to hold boats, concentrates the boats more and the schools also. My two cents, any one else?

I agree with what you are saying and I will add this, the number of kokes that got planted 4 years ago was the lowest it has been in years and that equals less spawning class fish for this year.

Here is some REAL DATA FOR YOU:

During Covid (Past 3 years) fishing license sales increased by 80% Fact

DNR on Wyoming and Utah side has had roughly the same stocking numbers for the past 10 years or so Fact

The additional revenue in license sales did NOT go to stocking as we can see in stocking numbers it went to who knows what! So if fishing pressure increased by 80% with the same stocking numbers I would say the population of Kokes is VERY LOW!

The other thing Ive noticed is folks keeping the dinks? 10"-12" kokes getting thrown in there live well or cooler... Folks figure its a koke and they have spent a lot of money so there keeping it.

Then next year they return and ask where did all the fish go?? There in everyones freezer getting burned!

Between the DNR and poor conservations by people Flaming Gorge is NOT what it once was. You should see at least 4 different sizes of kokes being caught for a healthy fishery! I haven't seen more than 2 age classes in the gorge in probable close to 10 years.... Right now there are 2 classes "Dinks" and 16" with the odd occasion of a 20" + Can someone please explain why there are only 2 age classes in flaming gorge?

POOR management is the case here. Now all that being said I have seen 4 + age classes at Soldier creek this spring! For the amount of pressure I would say its a very healthy fishery...

Just my 2 cents.

Stocking vs. Revenue

You can only stock what a lake can support. License revenue can go to a lot of useful purposes.

"You can only stock what a lake can support" ?

If angler numbers are up 80% are you not loosing 80% of the fish you stocked?

If you own a restaurant and your buying food and your traffic goes up 80% your going to run out of food if you dont stock 80% more product? Pretty simple!

Your also not going to sale licenses with poor numbers of fish! Fishing license money should go to FISHING!

I assume WGF does creel surveys so they will have some idea of what is being harvested. Supply is part of the equation as well. I don't know if Wyoming rears kokanee or trades with other states to obtain them. You have to spread that out everywhere kokanee get stocked.

It's also cost. If Kokanee in FG are becoming Lake Trout food then managing that problem is a better first step rather then spending big money on "lake trout kibbles". Different costs are required to produce different types of fish.

Not arguing at all. Just saying it is more complicated then throwing more fish in the lake. And yes fishing pressure counts also.

Speaking with Tony Valdez the owner at Buckboard marina early this spring he has actual data from both states showing the cost to stock Kokanee is a WHOPPING $0.03 cents each.

A rainbow trout is around $1.30 ea. If you do some math the current population of lake trout eats more Kokanee than is stocked yearly. I seriously doubt fisherman stand a chance of thinning out the lake trout!

BTW I have personally spoke with the Wyoming fish and game while they were harvesting eggs from Sheep Creek. YES all Kokanee stocked in Wyoming and Utah have identical genetics from SHEEP CREEK. I also want you to know I very much appreciate the conversation! Folks need to know WHY
So how do we offset all this? For now we need to stock about 10 times the amount of kokanee that is currently being stocked by both states. How you might ask? With the additional funds from increased license sales.

Two follow on questions I'd have for either WGF or Utah is "how has the egg harvest been" compared to the peak years? And are gill lice any concern in FG?

Gill lice have been a big problem in Colorado for the last ten years roughly if not longer. Now we have low water levels on top of that to make matters worse. CPW skipped stocking waters ike Wolford and Green Mountain for several years around 2016 - 2019 attempting to reduce the lice by taking away the young fish they prey on. Only around 2019- 2020 did the resume again to see how it goes.

I know in Colorado Blue Mesa's egg take is half of the historical peak at Roaring Judy. Gill lice were the first problem and drought now is on top of that. They are supplementing with eggs from other state reservoirs just to get the 3 million target there so exporting Kokanee is probably not something possible.

So even if they agree with stocking more you have to have the fish to stock the fish. And you still have to manage the lake trout. Which was a big fight when Colorado started doing that at Blue Mesa as well but until the gill lice showed up it did seem to be working out well for the kokanee.

Green Mountain in Colorado is full of 16" Lake Trout with thin bodies and it's actually a sad thing to see I think.

Luckily for Flaming gorge Gill lice have never been an issue.

Just fisherman and lake trout! LOL
If were not very careful Flaming gorge will crash though..... I think were already at step 3.
I personally have years and years of GOOD memories up there and its sad to see it all come to this.

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