10-23-2014, 03:46 PM
Chesterfield is at the mercy of the water. The canal company has every right to completely drain the lake. There is no minimum pool on the reservoir and the outlet is set at a level that there is no survival pool.
It used to be that Chesterfield was drained dry just about every other year. Thankfully the canal company in recent years has voluntarily cut off their water early to try and maintain a survival pool in the reservoir for the fish. All that they ask is that we not block their access to the dam and keep the trash picked up.
With no control over the water and high bird predation on the fish, F&G is pretty much doing all they can to keep Chesterfield a good fishery. Yeah, they could make it a twenty inch limit with artificial flies and lures, but it is only fair that there are some lakes in the area that kids and bait fishermen etc can pursue large fish.
I think Southeast Idaho really enjoys a good balance of fishing species for all types of fishermen.
With any fishery there are going to be ups and downs. Chesterfield is in a bit of a down right now. The birds got almost all of the stocked fish in 2012 and probably several other years. That makes for missing year classes.
Give it time, it has more good years ahead....if we get some good water years we have a better chance for all our reservoirs to do well.
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It used to be that Chesterfield was drained dry just about every other year. Thankfully the canal company in recent years has voluntarily cut off their water early to try and maintain a survival pool in the reservoir for the fish. All that they ask is that we not block their access to the dam and keep the trash picked up.
With no control over the water and high bird predation on the fish, F&G is pretty much doing all they can to keep Chesterfield a good fishery. Yeah, they could make it a twenty inch limit with artificial flies and lures, but it is only fair that there are some lakes in the area that kids and bait fishermen etc can pursue large fish.
I think Southeast Idaho really enjoys a good balance of fishing species for all types of fishermen.
With any fishery there are going to be ups and downs. Chesterfield is in a bit of a down right now. The birds got almost all of the stocked fish in 2012 and probably several other years. That makes for missing year classes.
Give it time, it has more good years ahead....if we get some good water years we have a better chance for all our reservoirs to do well.
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