Last fall Howard Prairie was stocked with over 150,000 six-inch trout, followed by 10,000 legal-sized trout this spring. These fish are 10 to 14 inches now, and are growing quickly on the abundant food available. In addition, some holdover trout up to 20-inches are still being caught.

Still fishing with bait is the best bet for trout anglers at Howard Prairie right now, and Powerbait is the bait of choice. Hot spots include Red Rock, Hoxie Creek, and in/around Fawn and Doe Island.

Trolling will produce some fish but is generally slow to fair. One boat with two anglers wind-drifted nightcrawlers around Fawn Island and caught four trout in two hours recently.

Many of the trout show evidence of copepods or copepod scars. This is a natural parasite that lives on the outside of the fish and can simply be scraped off.

The lake is 91 percent full. The surface temperature is expected to be in the low 70oF range, while at depth near the outlet the lake is 58oF.