Flaming Gorge Fishing Report

[SamDaFishMan]

My son and I went to Flaming Gorge Sunday the 18th-21.  Targeted Kokanee. Got on the water at 1 pm on Sunday and fished the bay south of Lucerne for about 5 hours looking at the fish finder and playing with different depths from 70-90 feet.  NOTHING.  Saw all kinds of schools at 40 ft and 70 plus feet.

Monday, got on the water at 7 am and fished for about 3 hours and still nothing.  Chatted with another boat for a moment and they said they were hitting at 45-50 feet.  Got 2 Koks and 1 laker for about 6 hours of fishing.  Not good.  We were at the cleaning station and spoke to another fisher, and he said they were hitting at 55 feet.  Finally, it hit me.  Why the heck did I  not use my Fish hawk to check temp!  Dummy!

Tuesday morning, 7 am, dropped the fishhawk, 52 degrees at 55 feet.  Started fishing and within 2 minutes had a double hookup.  Fishing was wild and we limited out with 6 koks and 4 lakers in a little less than 3 hours.

Wednesday, same thing, out at 9 am, dropped fishhawk, 55-60 feet today.  lines out and 30 seconds, double hookup, one in the boat.  10 minutes later double hookup, both lost.  10 minutes later ANOTHER double and got both in the boat!  Less than 2.5 hours and off the water with a limit.

Thursday, 9 am, fishhawk drop 60+ feet.  5 minutes, DOUBLE lost both.  Half hour later ANOTHER DOUBLE! got one.  We trolled for the next 4 hours and had about 15 releases, 8 hookups with the damn things getting to about 20 feet from the boat and spit the hooks, and a couple we drug through the motors, ect.  Weird day as they were hitting but very light hookups loosing a bunch.  My son did land a 210 pounder, but he was already in the boat,....ME!  Got a kok 15 feet from the boat and he spit the hook.  Rig came flying and wrapped around my head and placed both hooks in the side of my cheek!  Luckily did not penetrate past the barbs and easy to remove.  Thank God it wasn't an eye.  Total, only 2 salmon and one laker for the effort.  4 hours.












Lesson one:  Don't go out and drag gear looking at your fishfinder for the right depth.  CHECK YOUR TEMP!
Lesson two:  Wear sunglasses to keep the glare off and potentialy protect your eyes from a spit hook/release.
Lesson three:  Bring your kids out more often and go fishing more.  I must hang my head in shame as this was the first time in almost 2 years I had the boat out to fish.  SHAME, SHAME, SHAME!

Lastly, silver flashers and pink white squid combo tipped with green or pink maggots was the rigs working best.

[Troutster]

Really cool report. I am very interested in the Fish Hawk. Help me understand why it’s helpful. If you see fish at 55 ft, run lures/dodgers at 55 ft, right? I’m not doubting, I’m on the verge of buying a downrigger and trying to figure out trolling. Thanks!

[SamDaFishMan]

The fishhawk is a temp checker. It checks temps every 5 feet of water depth. Put it on your downrigger ball and drop your ball to the bottom. Retrieve ball and read the fishhawk. You are looking at where 52 degrees is on the water depth. That is where the kokanee hang out. Doesn't really matter where you "see fish" on your fish finder as these could be any other type of fish that you may not be targeting. If you want to catch the silver bullets, they are at 52 degrees.

[SamDaFishMan]

I thought you were only allowed three Kokes, no extra in possession?

3 kokes each per day.  We eat alot, lol

[TRUBBS]

My son and I went to Flaming Gorge Sunday the 18th-21.  Targeted Kokanee. Got on the water at 1 pm on Sunday and fished the bay south of Lucerne for about 5 hours looking at the fish finder and playing with different depths from 70-90 feet.  NOTHING.  Saw all kinds of schools at 40 ft and 70 plus feet.

Monday, got on the water at 7 am and fished for about 3 hours and still nothing.  Chatted with another boat for a moment and they said they were hitting at 45-50 feet.  Got 2 Koks and 1 laker for about 6 hours of fishing.  Not good.  We were at the cleaning station and spoke to another fisher, and he said they were hitting at 55 feet.  Finally, it hit me.  Why the heck did I  not use my Fish hawk to check temp!  Dummy!

Tuesday morning, 7 am, dropped the fishhawk, 52 degrees at 55 feet.  Started fishing and within 2 minutes had a double hookup.  Fishing was wild and we limited out with 6 koks and 4 lakers in a little less than 3 hours.

Wednesday, same thing, out at 9 am, dropped fishhawk, 55-60 feet today.  lines out and 30 seconds, double hookup, one in the boat.  10 minutes later double hookup, both lost.  10 minutes later ANOTHER double and got both in the boat!  Less than 2.5 hours and off the water with a limit.

Thursday, 9 am, fishhawk drop 60+ feet.  5 minutes, DOUBLE lost both.  Half hour later ANOTHER DOUBLE! got one.  We trolled for the next 4 hours and had about 15 releases, 8 hookups with the damn things getting to about 20 feet from the boat and spit the hooks, and a couple we drug through the motors, ect.  Weird day as they were hitting but very light hookups loosing a bunch.  My son did land a 210 pounder, but he was already in the boat,....ME!  Got a kok 15 feet from the boat and he spit the hook.  Rig came flying and wrapped around my head and placed both hooks in the side of my cheek!  Luckily did not penetrate past the barbs and easy to remove.  Thank God it wasn't an eye.  Total, only 2 salmon and one laker for the effort.  4 hours.












Lesson one:  Don't go out and drag gear looking at your fishfinder for the right depth.  CHECK YOUR TEMP!
Lesson two:  Wear sunglasses to keep the glare off and potentialy protect your eyes from a spit hook/release.
Lesson three:  Bring your kids out more often and go fishing more.  I must hang my head in shame as this was the first time in almost 2 years I had the boat out to fish.  SHAME, SHAME, SHAME!

Lastly, silver flashers and pink white squid combo tipped with green or pink maggots was the rigs working best.

Nice report! 
Also looks like they finally redid the cleaning station in the last month, that’s a bonus. 

What area of the gorge were you fishing?


We hit the north end pretty heavy early:mid season.

[MWScott72]

Cool report. That Fish Hawk sounds like the real deal. Congrats on the fillets.

I’ll say on thing - that cleaning station looks better than any of them along the Front!

[SamDaFishMan]

We were just south of Lucerne. And yes, the fishhawk is the ONLY way to really target the Kokes. Otherwise you're just guessing. And as far as the cleaning station, TOP NOTCH! Just make sure you use the hoses and clean off the surfaces and disposal tubes and pay it forward so to speak for the next person using it. That way, it stays super nice, which it was.

Last note. Spoke to an old timer and she said that the area I was fishing traditionally doesn't do well early to mid season. Pipeline to buckboard are productive then.

Also, if you search Facebook for Flaming Gorge or FG fishing report, you can see pictures of flaming red Kokes they are currently catching, while mine had no discernable change of color as of yet. But the males were developing the familiar hooked noses. I can't understand the massive difference in color development between mine and theirs.

[Dirt Bag]

Nice job figuring it out.