Where to Go Spinney Reservoir
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FALL HOURS: 9AM TO 6PM DAILY
Report Date: 11/1/2024
Current Conditions:
SPINNEY IS CLOSED TO ALL MOTORIZED (YES, EVEN ELECTRIC) WATERCRAFT. ONLY HAND POWERED AND HAND LAUNCHED VESSELS ARE ALLOWED.
SPINNEY STATE PARK WILL CLOSE FOR THE SEASON ON NOVEMBER 15TH.
Spinney has been fishing pretty well recently. Things have been a bit more difficult with the rapidly decreasing water levels. The lake is dropping fast. Spinney is currently at 59% of capacity. These last couple of weeks should continue to fish well. Keep in mind that NO motorized watercraft is allowed (even electric) so accessing the lake via kayak, float tube or on foot are the only options. Static nymphing at various depths has been the most popular tactic. Midge stripping or using an intermediate sinking line and crawling bugs has also been effective. Smaller chironomids, eggs, snails and leeches have been good patterns recently. The shore fishing has been good where there are distinct drop offs. The most productive fishing has been in the mid mornings.
Hatches:
Chironomids (smaller) are becoming more important each day as we roll through fall. Its pretty much the only thing hatching. Midges/chironomids are best fished in the premature or nymph stage. They can be fished in static stages, slow stripping and even as adults. Leeches, scuds, eggs, snails, and streamers are also good options. .
Tactics:
Go heavy on your terminal tackle. It will help with keeping fish out of the weeds, and most importantly, the fish dont care. With the summer weed growth, it would be 2x is a good bet right now. Shore fishing is becoming an option again, just be sure to pick your spots right. Look for areas free of weeds. Boats, float tubes and kayaks are the ideal options to access the lake. Try static indicator nymphing at various depths, or even midge stripping the above hatches. Sometimes these fish like horizontal movement in the presentation. The depth you are fishing will be THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR in nymphing. With the warmer water temps, fish are feeding in different parts of the water column each day. The trick will be finding that zone on a daily basis. It can change dramatically from day to day. We are starting to see some nice brown trout comprised in the catches.
Spinney is dropping FAST and currently 59% full.
Tips:
Fishing has been best in the mid morning. If winds are not too bad, its a great time of year to try the afternoons and evenings here. Focus on fishing in between the pronounced weed beds throughout the lake. Shore fishing is back in play- Focus on areas that have some gradient or drop offs. All shorelines have been good for shore fishing.
Weather:
Short Term- We are in a little break between storms right now. Today and tomorrow will be a bit warmer than average. Temps during this time will be in the 50's. Although it will take some time for things to warm up each day. About mid day on Sunday some changes will be happening. A strong front will enter the west. Locally, we will see some colder temps and some snow. We will have to see exactly where the jet stream ends up, but right now it does look like we could see a few inches of snow here. Temps will be cold on Monday and Tuesday with highs in the 30's and lows in the teens. There will also be a fair amount of wind during that time. This is the weather change we have been waiting for. Snowfall will start to matter now (for the long term) and these storms will give us a chance to start building our snowpack.
Long Term- After the start of next week, we will again see more storms enter the picture. The big thing with this front next week will be the cold air. We wont see the temps get about about 25 degrees on Wednesday (11/6) There will again be chances of snow as well. We should see around 4-6 inches from Wednesday through Saturday. Temps will be cold with highs in the upper 20's and lows in the single digits! With weather like this, we could see ice on happen by the end of next week. Long range forecasts are hinting at a continued unsettled pattern through November. Lets hope that materializes!
FALL STILLWATER TRIPS AVAILABLE!
Time is running out! Spinney will close for the season on 11/15. This is an area we offer guided fly fishing trips. Angler's Covey is home to some of the best and most passionate stillwater experts in the area. Fall can be one of the best times to target stillwater for a variety of species. If you would like to try your hand at stillwater fly fishing, give us a call! You wont be disappointed.
RECOMMENDED PATTERNS:
Our Top Nymphs for Today:
* Rickards stillwater nymph, sizes 14-16
* Mini leech jig, Olive, black, brown size 14-16
*Rojo midge, red, sizes 16-20
* Znail, size 14-16
* Wooly bugger, white, sizes 6-10
* Sunny side up eggs, all colors, sizes 14-16
Our top Dry Flies for Today:
- Parachute Adams, sizes 14-20
Our Top Streamer Patterns for Today:
- Baby Gonga, white/yellow, rainbow, size 8
- Swim Coach, black/purple, size 4
- Meat Whistle, black, size 1/0
- Home Invader, olive/white, size 6
See below for Spinney Mountain Reservoir Map, or CLICK HERE for a downloadable PDF.
Spinney Reservoir is one of the best stillwater fisheries in the entire western US. The regulations are flies and lures only and you can harvest one trout over 20 inches. Fish species include: Rainbow Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Brown Trout, Cuttbow trout, yellow perch, and Northern Pike. There are two boat ramps and several parking areas around the reservoir. It is a $9.00 daily pass fee to get in. Anglers bringing a boat make sure to clean it thoroughly because they are now inspecting for Zebra Mussels.
This is an area we specialize and are permitted to guide in, so give us a shot if you have any question or if you interested in allowing one of our Orvis-Endorsed guides to show you how to conquer Spinney Reservoir.