Blue Mesa Kokanee

**kokanee64** · 05-05-2017, 06:07 PM

Launch ramps and mussel inspection stations are open on Blue Mesa, as are the two marinas. The water in Cebolla, the middle basin, is 45 degree F and the water is green stained. Given a good snowpack, the lake has risen earlier than normal and is about 15 ft below the typical high water level. It appears that managers have recently increased outflows to match inflows. Kokanee fishing is decent, with some people reporting limits (5 fish bag limit, 10 fish possession), although the fish seem to be noticeably smaller this year. The typical mature fish that will spawn in the fall is running about 14 inches and weighs about 1.15 pound. Perhaps it is still early and fish need time to grow. The early, pre-dawn, morning bite has been good lately, with some slow down after 7:30 or so. The usual colors are producing: yellows, pinks, oranges, reds and purples, trailing 4 inch dodgers. Fish are still shallow: lead core out 2 -3 colors with long leaders and downriggers running 15 - 23 ft with long set backs. Predawn air temps have been 23F - 33F and there is still a little snow on north facing slopes. Good Luck.

**kokanee64** · 05-16-2017, 02:23 PM

Fishing on Blue Mesa continues to be good, particularly between 6 and 7 am. Air temp at 5:30 am is 37 F and water temp in Cebolla is 55 F, with more green staining than before and more floating branches, etc. Fish are taking yellow and orange beads w/ spinners trailing same color dodgers on both downriggers and lead core; 17 - 19 ft deep on DR with 30 ft drop and 3 colors on leadcore. Best trolling speeds are 1.1 - 1.4 MPH. On Mother's Day many fishermen, including guides, were fishing East, just beyond the Elk Creek Marina, an area known as Turtle Rock, and west of the marina, beyond the canyon around Bay of Chickens. The fish are growing and getting fatter. The recent fish-of-the-day was a male, at 1 lb, 11 oz and a little over 16". Female are running 1.5 lbs and 14 - 15 inches. We've been picking up smaller random browns and rainbow, and 2 - 3 lb lake trout at 27 - 35 ft are readily taking yellow and green salmon lures. A fair number of the salmon show signs of escaping large macs. The lake has been rising 1/2 to 3/4 ft per day recently. Good Luck. We're off to Lake Powell for weather that feels more like summer.

**jimscol** · 05-16-2017, 07:46 PM

Thanks for the report on BM. I was there last Friday, the weather was great and there was no wind. We fished west of Cebolla on the South side and did OK in shallow water with pink and purple squids. Hope to make down there again soon.

**kokanee64** · 05-16-2017, 11:16 PM

Glad you had a good day on BM. Interesting that you did well on different colors. I think the kokes are taking any and everything right now. We also were out on Friday and you might have gone past us as we were fishing the bay of chicken area, just as the canyon opens into Cebolla basin. MJ and I fish a 21 ft North River (with no decals, so its somewhat hard to spot). I think we were putting the boat back in the slip a little after 7 am that day, so if you were late getting started our paths didn't cross. Drive by and say hello next time you are on the lake.

**jimscol** · 05-16-2017, 11:51 PM

The pink worked better than the purple. I kept catching rainbows on the purple. We put in about 6:30 and started in the Bay of Chickens so we probably did cross. I have a 16.5' Alumacraft