ANGEL LAKE

The road is open and the lake is ice free.  The parking lot is free of snow, though anglers will encounter snow as the head up the trail around the lake.  There was a minor fish kill this winter here, so expect fishing to be a bit slower than usual until the stocking truck and access the lake (more snow needs to melt) and stock it with trout.

CAVE LAKE

Cave Lake is sitting approximately 15 feet below normal water level.  Fishing has been good here using worms, PowerBait or small spinners.  Fly rodders should be using small nymphs, chironomids or buggers.  Expect soft, muddy shorelines though  they are starting to dry out. Cave Lake was stocked with approximately 5,000 rainbow trout in late April. 

COLD CREEK RESERVOIR

Cold Creek Reservoir is now at minimum pool due to outlet structure repair being done by Kinross.  There is very little water and is mostly ice free.   

COMINS LAKE

Work is being done to put in an improved boat ramp at Comins which is affecting access to the lake.  Do not expect to be able to launch a large boat for the foreseeable future as volunteers and contractors are cutting brush and moving dirt to prepare for the boat ramp. This is taking place where people have usually launched boats and that area is currently not accessible.  There is trenching and the installation of power along the entrance road and anglers should expect occasional road closures in this area.  Very little change here as far fishing conditions which has been good this spring with 16-to-20-inch Rainbow Trout being caught. Bass fishing has picked up and is good. Anglers will do well on nightcrawlers, a variety of spinners, wet flies behind a bubble, and even PowerBait.  Minnow imitations and large streamer patterns have been working for northern pike, many of which have been staged for spawning on the southeast shoreline.  Anglers, please note that NDOW has placed radio tags in several Northern Pike.  These pike will have an orange floy tag near their dorsal fin and a small antenna coming from their stomach. Please return these fish to the water for research purposes.  If the pike doesn’t have the transmitter tag, please humanely dispatch the fish.  Do not put it back in the lake.  Comins Lake has been stocked with approximately 9,000 rainbow trout this spring.

ILLIPAH

The water level is down about three feet as water is being taken out for irrigation. Fishing continues to be good here.  Anglers will do well on nightcrawlers, spinners, and PowerBait. Fly rodders should be using olive or black wooly buggers, black leeches, red copper Johns, GR hares ears, PT nymphs and prince nymphs.  Illipah was stocked with approximately 24,000 rainbow trout this spring..

JAKE'S / BOIES RESERVOIR

Expect good fishing for trout and fair conditions for bass.  The usual worms and PowerBait, as well as small spinners, rooster tails, and panther Martins should work. Fly rodders should be using black or olive wooly buggers or leech patterns, hares ears, PT nymphs and chironomid patterns.  This water was stocked with 3,000 trout two weeks ago.

JIGGS / ZUNINO RESERVOIR

The lake has very low water levels and a soft muddy shoreline.  There was a trout die off last summer, so no trout are left here.  A few blue gill and bass, but no report on how fishing is. The shorelines are soft and muddy.   NDOW is planning a fish salvage here the next week as the lake will probably dry up this summer.  Fish salvaged will be moved to other waters in the area.

MOUNTAIN STREAMS

HIGH ALPINE LAKES

Access is improving and while there is still snow at the higher elevations, many of the lakes are opening up.  Expect fishing to be good as the ice comes off.

RUBY LAKE NWR

No change here as trout fishing has been fair to good depending upon the day and location, with good water levels.  Bass fishing is fair but picking up.   Fish are being caught with leech patterns, balanced leeches, crystal buggers, #14-16 hare’s ears, and #16-18 PT nymphs.  Other flies working include the usual small nymphs, olive soft hackles, red or blue copper Johns, and prince nymphs. On warm afternoons if you see insects hatching, switch to midge emergers, blue wing olive emergers as well as the usual assortment of dry flies. Small brightly colored spinners were doing fair to good for spin fishermen. Anglers may now fish the water behind and downstream of the hatchery.  Please follow the signs for access and don’t walk through the hatchery itself. 

SOUTH FORK RESERVOIR
Fishing for both trout and bass continues to be fair to good depending upon the day.  Surface water temperatures are well on their way into the 60’s and the bass bite has picked up, especially largemouth bass using crankbaits and spinnerbaits.  Anglers are also having success with both worms and PowerBait catching trout averaging 15 to 18 inches and a few over 20.  Flies that have caught fish include leech patterns, red copper Johns, wooly buggers, hares ears and chironomids (midge larva) patterns. Ice cream cones, red butt buzzers, red and silver zebra midges, red brassies and frostbite chironomids are all working.  Red seems to be the magic color for midge patterns.  Fishing at Jet Ski Beach has been fair to good depending upon the day.  Fishing on either side of the dam has been good as has been the south end of the lake where the river empties into the lake. The boat ramp at Jet Ski Beach is not useable due to a drop off at the end of the ramp which will get your trailer tires stuck.  No black bass may be kept until July 1.  They must be released immediately after being caught.

WILDHORSE RESERVOIR

While the lake level is good, downstream users have had to start using water early due to very dry conditions.  Expect the level to steadily drop this summer.  Very little change here as fishing has been good for trout and perch and fair to good for bass. Surface water temperatures are in the low 60’s.  Fly rodders have had success with balanced leeches and chironomids.  Expect buggers and small nymphs such as copper Johns, hares ears and PT’s to all be working.  Bait anglers should be using worms fished off the bottom in water that is four to eight feet deep or suspended about five feet below a bobber.  Small spinners should also be effective.  Bass anglers have had success with orange pumpkin and green pumpkin soft plastics as well as perch-colored crankbaits.  Fish for bass on structure, while trout are still being caught close to shore.  With the release of water from the dam, stream flows were 100 cfs below the dam on Thursday. This will make wading the river difficult, but fishing from shore where there is access should be tried. No black bass may be kept until July 1.  

WILLOW CREEK RESERVOIR

No fish

WILSON RESERVOIR