Thanks to Ethan Lawson for the stream report and photo:

The Gunpowder River is flowing at 61 CFS and 40F. Fishing on the Gunpowder picked up a bit this week as mild air temperatures allowed water temperatures to creep out of the 30s and reach 40F. A few degree bump in water temperatures seemed to bring the river to life a bit more than weeks past. Winter stones could be seen along the riverbank and even a few splashy rises were reported. Drifting small stonefly nymphs and midges is always a good bet this time of year. Streamers will work. In the late afternoon when water temps are at their peak, try an adult stonefly pattern in the faster water. You may be surprised!

The Gunpowder River is flowing at 61 cfs, starting the day at 37 degrees F and it is carrying a little color.

It’s never easy to catch fish consistently at this time of year as water temperatures linger in the mid- 30’s. That said, persistence pays off, as demonstrated by Seth Hinder who has put in a lot of time fishing the Gunpowder all winter.  He caught this 17 inch brown swinging and stripping a zonker downstream erratically. Nice work Seth!

This weekend should see a break in the freezing nighttime temperatures, this will help get that water temperature up which will stir up the insect, then, trout activity. The weather is forecast to be cloudy, still and wet, ideal for some early season trout fishing!

The Gunpowder is at 91 cfs, starting the day 36.5 degrees at Falls Road, and clear.

Fishing on the Gunpowder is generally slow but time put in on the river always pays off. I fished Wednesday afternoon with Darin Crew above Falls road and we had the place to ourselves. The temperature was lingering below freezing but the wind had subsided allowing for comfortable fishing. Between us we covered a lot of water and ended with 5 trout but those caught were chunky wild browns between 9 – 14 inches.

When the water temperatures are as cold as they are, and little is hatching, odds are against catching numbers so it’s often worthwhile going for larger fish that may be tempted into opportunistic meal. Dead drifting streamers in the deeper pools is a great way to target these fish.