Reservation Lake Fishing Report

Current Fishing Report: Good To Excellent

Brown trout can be very aggressive, and do put up quite a battle. They are more aggressive than rainbows, and will attack larger lures - especially jerkbaits.

SPRING. As the water begins warming in Spring, and access to the lake opens in mid May, brown trout will get very active. After ice out, trolling, drift fishing, casting, and jigging spoons all work well. As water begins to warm in early Spring, brown trout move from their deep winter holding areas to shallower, warmer water. They are found early in the season around 5 to 20 feet deep. Annually, after ice-out, weekend anglers are catching brown trout on spinners, small jerkbaits, nightcrawlers and a variety of other prepared offerings. They congregate around inlets, shallow flats and rip rap. Some of the most productive fishing happens from mid morning to late afternoon, on mid-depth humps. Later in Spring, browns prefer water 12 to 20 feet deep.

SUMMER. Once Summer is here to stay, the warmer water drives brown trout deeper, 30 feet deep, and deeper. Early in the morning and at dusk, they are being caught shallower during these low-light conditions, usually on windy points in 15 to 25 feet of water. Night fishing is often good during warm-weather months. Trolling around river channel ledges and structure, using downriggers or leaded line, or drift fishing with bait, are typically the most productive methods. Anglers fishing from the bank are using fairly heavy weights, on a Carolina rig to get baits into deeper water.

FALL. Cooling water temperatures again draw browns shallower. They tend to spawn shallow in October or November, in tributaries flowing into the lake. Some of the best catches of the year are reported during this time frame. Jerkbaits, miniature crankbaits, swimbaits and spinners are all popular. Before and after the spawn, successful anglers catch them early in 5 to 20 feet deep on points, rocky structure, humps, and mouths of bays where baitfish are gathering. Early in the morning and at dusk, they are being caught even shallower. Once they have had a full summer to grow, it's a good time to catch a trophy. When they move out to structure in deep water, spoons, jigs and bait are catching browns.

Current Fishing Report: Very Good

SPRING. Anglers are finding brook trout in 2 to 12 feet of water early in the day, around weed edges near deeper water, where anglers are catching them on spinners and flatfish. Stream inlet mouths, and weedy areas along the north and east shorelines are popular. As the water warms, brookies drop into 10 to 55 feet of water later in the season.

SUMMER. Brookies are less tolerant of warm water. Seeking cooler water temperatures, brook trout migrate to deeper, cooler water. Early mornings find them in 8 to 12 feet deep. Mid day they drop into 15 to 20 feet of water. Brook trout are caught at this time using a wide variety of lures and baits, worked slowly.

FALL. As the weather begins to cool in Fall, brookies are getting more active, typically in 4 feet of water or less. Brookies here spawn in fall, typically in September or early October. They are typically very aggressive and are caught on virtually any trout lure, from spinners shallow, to crankbaits in 5 to 10 foot of water, and on jigs, bait and spoons in deeper water. Shallow bays, creek and inlet mouths, and flats, are popular for brookies.

WINTER. Once Winter sets in, ice fishing is possible, but access roads are closed, and the lake is frozen and snow covered.