emperatures a little lower today with a high reaching 76.3 degrees. We also started off with a pretty good breeze on the pond this morning. It only got worse and many folks were blown off the pond by around 9 AM. The gusts are predicted to reach 28 on Saturday but we have seen winds speeds a lot lower than predicted. That doesn't mean that small boats should stay out on the water after the first gust because winds speeds of 18 to 20 mph kick up swells at three to four feet. Highs this weekend are predicted to be in the low 80's and Sunday is expected to be a little calmer in the morning.

Water Temperature

By my depthfinder.....South basin: 66 to 70.4 degrees F in the afternoon. pH 9.35 North basin: 71.2 F pH 9.43 Middle basin: 69.8 F. PH of 9.47. Official water tests have not been done this week yet. The new criteria set by CDFG for posting the "voluntary catch and keep recommendation" is a uniform pH of 9.4 as this lake rarely goes below 9.2. The north and middle basins are typically higher in pH than the south basin so when the south basin is at 9.4, most likely the recommendation will be posted.

Lake Conditions

Algae Locations: The winds yesterday afternoon helped clean up areas of the south basin that were pretty nasty the day before. We did find several bands across the lake but as long as the whole south basin doesn't bloom all at once we should still be okay.

The south side of Pelican Point was clean water today but I didn't see as many fish there today. There were fish on Miners Point and the ledges this morning and the water was fairly clean. Fish are on the move.

The middle basin and north basin have some areas that are fairly bad but there aren't a lot of trout left in those basins to worry about.

We still have good water to fish.

We have some years that are worse than others for the algae bloom. But on a bad year it can wreak havoc until it is over. We try to keep up with it's location (the south basin is usually the worst by far) and we will concentrate on that basin as that is where most all the good quality fish are now.

Buoys are on the lake. But, this being a natural lake not all the hazards are marked. The west side of the south basin all the way to and around Pelican Point is notorious for rock piles several hundred feet from shore. Miners Point and the Youth Camp as well as the channel between Buck Point and Little Troxel Point will also hazardous areas. We will lose between 2 and 3 feet of water by fall (and maybe a little more depending on the type of summer we have) so expect the water level to drop below 5100 this season. Be careful this year.

Fishing Locations and Depths

Water temperatures have continued to increase but lower ambient temperatures the last few days has helped stabilize the water temperature. Most of the fish that were at the Youth Camp and the south side of Pelican Pt have moved farther south below Miners Point. The fish are still real scattered. Some years the fish will school up at Shrimp Island first and in other years Eagles Nest. It won't be too much longer before the fish are in their summer haunts.

The bite was pretty good for us this morning but it slowed down around 9 AM. Timing is important for fishing the 8 to 10 ft deep ledges right now. If we have a windy afternoon, the fish seem to be on the ledges for a while the next morning. But, if there isn't any wind to help oxygenate the shallow water, the fish hold in a little deeper, cooler water (19 to 35 ft). As water temperatures rise you may have to drop a couple feet deeper.

Youth Camp to the Biology Station was pretty slow today. Miners Point was fairly clean today and I did see fish rising. There was more algae off the west side today than the east side. A lot of boats do move the fish from one side of these ledges to the other quite often. Sometimes you have to chase the fish daily.

Between Wildcat Point and Shrimp Island (Lake of the Woods); the rocky ledges on the west side provided some action for trollers using nightcrawlers, flies and lures as well as the bait fishermen. Fish are hanging out in 15 to 35 feet of water early but many folks are finding them out in 45 to 65 feet of water 28 to 30 feet deep, especially after sunrise. Expect the fish to be scattered for the next week or so before they concentrate in the summer haunts. Quite often we find a lot of fish out in the middle of the lake this time of year, as long as the algae permits fishing it.

Eagles Nest has a few fish but the large schools are not congregating there yet. But, from the Springs to Eagles Nest has been producing limits for trollers and bait fishermen a like. 50 to 65 feet of water 30 feet deep has been the ticket.

Trolling

Some trollers are doing better than others but limits are still being caught. Most of the success this week has been in 45 to 55 feet of water 30 ft deep. The fish are pretty scattered in the deep water but it won't be long before they school up.

Hot Lures, Flies and Grubs

Lures: Large "Red Dog" Double Jointed Sure Catch lure is doing well and medium "Goldie locks" (florescent orange and brass) has been working well too. I also like the German Brown Medium Sure Catch this time of year. But good old Needlefish were in the top 3 producers. No doubt that florescent orange is a hot color on this lake and various lures of that color often work. Since using the sure catch lures, I am now partial to using them but Needlefish have also been extremely affective on this lake for decades. This week the nickel bikini (3) and rainbow have been working. Florescent orange with nickel or brass back were productive in size 2. Rainbow Runners have also been known to work well up here. The tiger and perch pattern size 3 has cooled off whereas the orange colors are now being a little more productive. Often, what is hot in one area is not in another. The red dot frog and crocodile patterns in size 2 and 3 have also been productive lures. We have a lot of baby western toads in all the grassy areas of the shoreline right now and don't think the trout have never seen one swimming in the water.

Trolling nightcrawlers is also a favorite and was indeed a very affective method for many anglers. Use of flashers is more productive in late summer and fall than this time of year but there were folks out there catching fish using flashers today. (Flasher tip for Eagle Lake: shorten leaders up to 14 to 15 inches from the flashers. These fish often come from behind so quickly that they can miss your bait and hit your flashers. If you are getting lots of strikes without hooking up, your leader is too long.)

Grubs: The grub trollers are working hard but the brown has bought a few strikes. and root-beer color. Brown, orange and watermelon have caught a few fish this week. Some folks prefer to run wiggle or action discs several inches ahead of the grub.

Trolling Flies: The plain Jane brown is still providing most all the action for us. We are starting to get a little more attention on florescent orange, but brown has still been the one.

Bait Fishing

Free-lining nightcrawlers (no weight) will start being productive in the deep summer haunts. The ledges on the west side of the south basin between Wildcat and Shrimp Island have produced some nice limits for those putting their time in. We have been seeing a bite come on around 8 AM. We are starting to see more action at the 25 to 30 ft depth in 35 to 55 feet of water.

It is illegal to use minnows as bait on this lake. Nightcrawlers are the most effective bait used but some folks use insects too. The use of commercial attractants has been working well the last few years. Krill and Garlic Trout Gravy are the most effective.

Shore Fishing

As water temperatures continue to increase, expect the fish to be farther away from shore. There are a few places between the biology station and the Youth Camp where 30 feet of water is reachable by casting from shore, but the shore fishing will be iffy until early fall now. Fish will stage here on their way down south once the water temperatures start hitting the high 60's but generally leave by 71 degrees.

The longest cast off the jetty at the Eagle Lake Marina will only put you in 12 to 14 feet of water. It has been fairly slow just about everywhere from shore for the average fisherman.

The Circus Grounds slowed down.

Rocky Point: Not a heck of a lot going on from shore.

Fly Fishing

Osprey Management Area is closed to human access from land until September 15, 2007. But the ledges have been providing good fly fishing early in the morning and the early evening hours. However we have seen people camping in there illegally this week but it isn't patrolled when it's a critical time of year for the nesting eagles and osprey.

Caddis hatch began at 7:00 this morning. A few trout were rising to the hatch today but not as much as they had been during the last few days. Sometimes the use of indicators is needed to see the slurp. Fish are moving in and out of the shallow rocky ledges.

Pelican Point still has a few fish, but, the majority have moved south and at this point it appears that those fish are heading towards Shrimp Island...but we well just have to wait and see.

My favorite flies are basic. #10 and #12 wooly buggers. For this time of year I prefer brown along Pelican Point and the west side of the south basin. I like olive, gold, orange or black in the tules.

It is advisable to have a float tube or boat so you can reach those trout when they move out...and they are moving out now. Have a sink tip available.