fishing report

for river related condition reports

May Fly Fishing On The Gunpowder River

The Gunpowder has dropped from late April high flows and leveled out from 600 CFs down to 140 CFs. Flow from Prettyboy Dam is still a combination of spillover and bottom release, so water temps are fluctuating from the high fifties to low sixties. The warmer water has spurred on hatches of numerous mayflies and caddis. The caddis hatch is best in the morning to midday, and again just before dark. The trout will take dries, but swinging or nymphing pupa patterns has been extremely effective. Sulphurs are now hatching steady each afternoon and I hit three spinnerfalls this week. The emergence of the size …

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Late April Fly Fishing On The Gunpowder

Heavy rain the past few weeks has kept the Gunpowder at higher flows, but fishable compared to other rivers in the Mid Atlantic. Last week anglers from Pennsylvania, New York, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, and New Jersey journeyed to the Gunpowder, since many rivers in those states were blown out. In a “spillover Spring” the frequent rain storms will raise flows on the Gunpowder, but the river remains clear. The higher water last week was producing results for anglers using big streamers, but I could only get chases from a few bruisers I’ve been targeting. This week flows leveled out at 137 CFs, and water …

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Hendricksons and Clear Water Along the Gunpowder River

Recent stream reports are pointing to improving conditions on the Gunpowder. With each passing shower we’ve seen water levels on the river stay consistently high and clear. Water temps are also right on the money at 54 F by late afternoon so we’re seeing a mix of Hendricksons in the #14 range and a few #12 March Browns. Dark bodied bead head nymphs and weighted soft hackle patterns in the #14-16 range are a good bet in the riffles. I spent a great day in the shop and a nice evening on the water with our Spirit River rep this past Thursday. He tricked a …

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Hendricksons, Quill Gordons, And Rising Water Temps On The Gunpowder

This past weekend hendricksons and quill gordons started hatching on the Gunpowder. On Sunday I saw a few dozen while guiding on the river, but on Monday the 80 degree air temps brought on a steady hatch. I didn’t stay until dark to see the spinners returning to the water, but I did catch a few browns on a hendrickson dun in the riffles. Stoneflies were also flying around in enough numbers that they brought splashy rises when they hit the water. I even saw a few caddis hatching in small numbers. The water temperature spiked to nearly 54 degrees on Monday, and rain caused …

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Late March Fly Fishing On The Gunpowder

The Gunpowder dropped close to 100 CFs last week. The river gradually leveled out after the big surge of water on the 11th. Heavy rains last night bumped river flows up to 165 CFs. The Spring rains should provide good flows the next few months, since the river levels will fluctuate with rain and spillover. The City notified the shop they recently made a gate change to the 10 foot level at Prettyboy, and the temperature graph on the USGS shows a spike up to just over 48 degrees. Angler reports from last weekend of slightly off color water was likely the result of the …

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Higher Flows On The Gunpowder River

The Gunpowder River reached just over 700 CFs on the Falls Road gauge this past Friday. The heavy rainfall in the region filled Prettyboy Reservoir, and water crested the spillway. The initial surge of water may not have led to ideal fishing conditions, but the flow did dislodge a good portion of Didymo from the river bottom. I fished for a few hours at 600 CFs, and caught half a dozen fish, but also noticed Didymo washing down river. The white algae can still be found in most sections, but is far less of a nuisance compared to the previous months. Earlier this week flows …

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