Report Date:
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The water level is low in the south marsh and the Narciss boat ramp is unusable, though the main boat ramp is. Surface water temperatures have dropped into the low 60’s and the bass bite has slowed. With the cooler water temperatures the best bass fishing is in the afternoons. Minimum keeper size is 10 inches. Most of the keepers are on the small size ranging between 10 and 12 inches. Soft plastic grubs in blue, black or purple and rigged weedless seemed to work the best. Fishing conditions in the collection ditch have been fair to good for 13 to 18-inch trout and it is improving. NDOW has started stocking the collection ditch with trout. Dry flies are continuing to work though hoppers are phasing out but trout are still used to seeing them. Based on the weather forecast, this should continue for at least the next week. Hoppers, yellow stimulators and yellow elk hair caddis have all produced fish and should until we have a hard freeze. Chironomid patterns such as zebra midges, red butt buzzers, chironocones and ice cream cones will catch fish. Other flies such as leech patterns, balanced leeches, crystal buggers, #14-16 hare’s ears, #16-18 PT nymphs and scuds fished under an indicator are recommended. Like the south marsh, the weeds are thick in places in the collection ditch though starting to recede with the cooler temperatures. Fishing subsurface flies is limited to those areas of the ditch that are deeper and have less vegetative growth. Spin anglers should be using small spinners in black or olive with contrasting yellow or red colors as well as small minnow imitations. The collection ditch is artificial lures only, no bait.
Report Date:
Little to no change here as anglers continue to report fair to good fishing for both rainbow and tiger trout......