Extreme weather and unfavorable water conditions are making for tough kayak fishing on the Colorado River. After a good, but very late start to fishing in 2024, both the weather and fishing conditions have declined. At the time of this post, it is extremely windy, 15-30 mph, with rain forecast for the next couple days, at least. The wind has increased dramatically here in the past few years and had a major negative effect on the kayak fishing.
Fishermen are an optimistic lot and we’re no different. Whenever the conditions permit, we are out there fishing. A couple calm mornings in the forecast and we are back on the water.
The weather was nice but the largemouth bass were not biting. Way less fishing action than just a few days ago. The water temperature was still around 58°F, still cold for this time of year and not warming up at all in a few days time. Despite the slow fishing, we managed to pick off a few bass.
It was the kind of day where you went from high hopes, because the last fishing session was pretty good, to hoping to catch a couple fish so you don’t get skunked. A miracle trophy bass on a day when the fishing sucks is not unheard of, so you keep plunking away.
The next morning, the weather had changed. The wind was calm and despite a tough day yesterday, we were here to fish. It was overcast with darker clouds on the horizon.
The weather may have changed but the largemouth bass fishing remained terrible. Even worse than twenty four hours earlier. Today, it was no mystery why the fishing was so poor.
The water level in this rather large Colorado River reservoir had dropped by at least five feet in twenty four hours. That’s a lot of water gone in a short time. Whenever this happens, it usually disrupts the fishing for a couple days. Same thing on the Columbia River and the smallmouth bass.
I landed here at a spot that was three feet underwater twenty four hours ago. From my experience fishing here over the years, this would be about “normal” high water. Being a man made and operated system that’s beyond capacity, it’s hard to say what “normal” is any more.
It was “one of those days” and I was happy to have caught a couple fish.
What’s going to happen? Things are not looking good right now, but whatever happens, once again, watermanatwork.com is on the front line. Check back soon.