Boysen Lake Fishing Report

Current Fishing Report: Good To Very Good

A lot of walleye are being caught using new technologies, cutting down the time it takes to locate them. Forward-facing, and side scanning, sonar is assisting anglers, fishing from a boat, to locate fish. Fishing is better as anglers can focus on areas with good numbers of fish. This is true for either trolling or casting. Anglers fishing from the bank still have to search the old fashion way, via test casting, until a school is located.

SUMMER. Water temperatures rise notably in Summer, and walleye fishing is good if you can get your bait deep enough. Early mornings, walleye tend to concentrate in 8 to 20 feet of water. As the day warms they descend in deeper water, around 20 to 45 feet deep. Throughout Summer, early in the morning, and from dusk to long after dark are good times to catch walleye a little shallower. At those times they move slightly shallower to feed in low-light conditions. Night fishing is often good in Summer, as well. When the bite is slow, grubs and nightcrawlers, fished just off the bottom typically catch walleye.

FALL. Fall brings cooler temperatures to shallow water, drawing walleye and baitfish into coves and bays. Walleye continue to be a major draw for anglers, even as the weather cools. This is a prime time to catch some of the bigger fish, and the fishing is generally good. Locals report catching nice walleye on long points, flats along the river and creek channels, and on structure off shore. Early Fall anglers report good results fishing deep weed edges and rocky points in 15 to 30 feet of water. Jigs, swimbaits, spoons, crankbaits, jerkbaits, and spinnerbaits are all historically good for catching walleye this time of year. In October anglers find them in 10 to 25 feet of water, in late Fall they hold 10 to 20 feet deep. Dragging jigs, bottom bouncers, or worm harnesses with nightcrawlers or leeches, around ledge drop-offs catches walleye fairly consistently. Watch for the bigger walleye to be slightly deeper than the majority of the school.

WINTER. Last Winter, fishing for walleye was pretty good, as it has been for the last few years. Before, and during early ice, anglers report catching them in the main basin area, in 10 to 20 feet of water, along deep creek channel edges, rocky humps and ledges. Popular areas include weed edges, next to rock piles, along northern and central basin drop-offs. Steep drops in the area toward the dam are also producing during these cold months. These same areas in 15 to 30 feet of water are classic spots during the middle of ice fishing season. Tip-ups with minnows work well when ice fishing is safe. Walleye primarily feed on small fish, staying close to the bottom. After ice-out blade baits, jigs, swimbaits, spoons, deep-diving crankbaits, and worm harness spinners, all work while deep trolling or drifting.

SPRING. Early Spring begins warming water in the shallows, and draws walleye to feed, especially rocky areas and inlet channels. They are usually caught 5 to 15 feet deep on points, drop offs, submerged structure, rock ledges, and wind-blown flats adjacent to deeper water. The upriver end of the lake, or on in-lake gravel bars and rip rap, is where many walleye spawn, starting in early April. Here, in 1 to 10 feet deep, they will spawn once the water warms to the mid to high 40's. When they are shallow, bright colored jigs, tipped with minnows or nightcrawlers typically catch them. Spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and crankbaits also work when walleye are up shallow. Afterwards, they move to 8 to 20 feet deep around points, flats, shoals and ledges, nearby shore, often staying in close proximity to their spawning locations. Main lake drop offs tend to produce some nice fish.

Current Fishing Report: Very Good

The use of new technology is helping anglers catch more rainbow trout in lakes. Forward-facing, and side scanning, sonar is currently the best way to locate trout, especially when they school in deep water. Rainbows are caught trolling, casting or jigging, once located on these sophisticated fish finders. Fly fishing is not covered in this website, but rainbow trout are being caught on plenty of other lures and bait.

SUMMER. Once Summer arrived, the warmer water has driven rainbow deeper, 15 to 35 feet deep during midday. Trolling the main basin with spoons, spinners and crankbaits, using downriggers or leaded line, and drift fishing with bait, are currently the most productive methods. Later in the Summer they hang out cooler zones, around 25 to 45 feet deep. Trout commonly suspend above the thermocline, over humps, deep channel edges and mid-lake structure. Following drop-offs into deeper water, along structure or creek channels, is a major key to getting bites. Early and late in the day they feed in 5 to 15 feet of water. Anglers fishing from the bank are using nightcrawlers or Berkley PowerBait, with fairly heavy weights on a Carolina rig, to get baits into deeper water.

FALL. Cooling water temperatures in the shallows, again draw rainbow trout out of deeper Summer depths. Anglers catch them 10 to 20 feet deep on rocky banks, wind-blown points, and flats in the upper regions of the lake. Rainbows also feed on deeper rocky structure, humps, and ledges, anywhere baitfish gather. By Fall, these trout have had a full season to grow, and there are typically some nice size rainbow to be caught. Small spinners, spoons, jigs, miniature crankbaits and swimbaits are good choices, as are salmon eggs and prepared baits. Later in Autumn, they move into 5 to 15 feet of water.

WINTER. Once Winter sets in, ice fishing can be very productive. Jigging spoons, and jigs tipped with bait, typically catch nice rainbows out of 5 to 15 feet of water during early ice. These baits work well around the old river channel in the main basin, along rip rap around the dam, and along the edges of channel troughs. Vertical jigging with spoons, jigs and bait, have been the best approach during the early, cold-water season. In January, they often drop deeper, to around 20 feet. Ice fishing for rainbows was decent last Winter, and is expected to be good again this year. Slowly worked offerings are more likely to attract bites during colder water.

SPRING. As the water begins to warm this in Spring, rainbow trout move from their late winter holding spots, to feeding areas in 5 to 15 feet of water. A good number of rainbows are typically caught from mid morning to late afternoon, during the warmest water of the day. Inlets and creek mouths, as well as rocky shorelines and rip rap tend to warm quickly and attract feeding, pre-spawn fish. Shallow flats and rocky structure are also quick to warm in the afternoon sun. Creek mouths, points, shallow coves, and flats adjacent to deep water are popular in Spring. Mid Spring finds them feeding in 3 to 12 feet of water, after they spawn, then working out to closer to 15 feet deep. A wide variety of small spinners, spoons and bait catch most of the fish.

Current Fishing Report: Very Good

SUMMER. Fat yellow perch here feed primarily on small fish and invertebrates. Spinners, underspins, small crankbaits, mealworms, nightcrawlers and maggots are catching perch in 15 to 35 feet of water. In early Summer, plus the first and last hours of the day, seek them out in feeding zones, 8 to 20 feet deep. Drop-offs, standing timber, lay-down trees, shallow weed lines, and in areas with submerged vegetation, are key feeding spots. Later in Summer, perch feed in 15 to 20 feet of water.

FALL. Early Fall finds yellow perch feeding in 12 to 25 feet of water. Later in the Fall, they begin migrating toward Winter holding areas, often in the deeper sections, around the edges of weedbeds, drop offs along flats, channel edges, rock piles and humps. In late Fall focus on 8 to 20 feet deep cover in sheltered bays and coves. Minnows, spinners, spoons and small jigs are ideal this time of year.

WINTER. Winter is arguably the premier season for yellow perch at Boysen Reservoir. Large schools form under the ice and provide excellent action. The cold of winter has driven perch in search of food and stable water conditions. They are typically caught while ice fishing in 10 to 20 feet of water early and late in Winter. Last Winter, perch fishing through the ice was quite good, and it's expected to be again this year. Mid-depth flats are ideal Winter holding spots. Later in Winter, shallow perch are typically caught when they are feeding in weedy areas on flats, in 8 to 12 of water. In Mid-Winter, schools suspend 15 to 30 feet deep, over deeper structure changes. Fishing for them in Winter is good using minnows, mealworms, maggots, and nightcrawlers. These baits work while ice fishing, and will continue to work once the ice is gone.

SPRING. Perch spawn in Spring when the water temperature warms to the mid 50's and mid 60's. Anglers will begin to catch them in 5 to 15 feet of water using spinners, small spinnerbaits, underspins, minnows, mealworms, maggots, and nightcrawlers. Docks, weed lines, drop offs all attract yellow perch searching for a meal. They spawn in 2 to 10 feet of water. Later in Spring, they migrate back to deeper water to feed. Coves in the Boysen State Park end of the lake have historically delivered great stringers of perch. In-line spinners, small spoons, Rapala Floating Minnows, small swimbaits and tube jigs tipped with bait are very popular choices here.