it is low. a few middle islands that i never knew that could destroy a boat above/ around the cemetery. putting in was tricky. the cove ramp out and the other dirt ramp/ camp area out. 4by4 a spot past the cemetery.we caught about 30 smallies, 1 large and 2 cats. biggest was a 2.75 small, 2.5 large and had a 3 get off at the boat. except for 4or 5 everyone was 1.75 to 2.25. all chunks. jerks and cranks. glad we went there but wish it was fuller for easier access.
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I heard it might go down to the channel because the dam is in need of an emergency fix. That's just rumor so far but if it's true that fishery will be done for a few years.
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http://www.idahopower.com/OurEnvironment...Reservoir/
"Notes:
Idaho Power anticipates Brownlee Reservoir elevation to be at or near 2014 feet above sea level by the 9th of October. After which, the reservoir will begin to refill as outflows are reduced for fall Chinook spawning operations."
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Also this from earlier in the year:
http://www.idahopower.com/NewsCommunity/...?prID=2598
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September 12, 2011
Brownlee Reservoir Level Dropping Brownlee Reservoir elevation will continue to drop through the month of September. As of Monday the reservoir level was 2,047 feet, leaving the boat ramps at Hewitt and Woodhead parks the only usable ramps on Brownlee. The water level will drop below Hewitt’s boat ramp by this weekend.
After Labor Day weekend, Idaho Power began drawing down the reservoir in preparation for its Fall Chinook Program which provides flat flows for salmon spawning in the Snake River below Hells Canyon Dam. The program is part of Idaho Power’s commitment to protect and preserve the environment surrounding our dams and generation facilities.
Inflows are expected to be higher than normal this year. Because of this, we anticipate all boat ramps will be out of the water during October. The water level is expected to fall to approximately 2,015 feet by the end of the month. To maintain flat flows during fall Chinook spawning, Oct. 10 through Dec. 5, space must be made in Brownlee Reservoir prior. As the spawning period begins, the reservoir will begin to refill.
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So you didn't put in at woodhead 'eh?
We went to Strike and fished the hump. Caught fish but it was a zoo. Don't know if I will do it again...............
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So because of the salmon BS we are flushing our fish down the river. That is great.[:/]
Ron
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You hit the nail on the head, Ron. I was going to post pretty much the same thing yesterday but figured I would PO the 10%'ers who fish for those fish. Completely ruin a fishery that 90% of the fishermen like to fish at. We've lost almost two months of prime fishing there because of the flush and low water.
I can get to Huntington in a little over an hour instead of the three hours it takes to get to Woodhead and even Woodhead ramp has been out of the water. This is as stupid as the crap they are pulling at Lowell. Plus this is a high water year and there was no excuse for Brownlee to be so low most of the year.
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I understand your frusteration Bob and there are many others like yourself. I think fisherman at Dworshak have been frusterated by low levels and I know that sail boaters that use Lucky Peak have similar complaints. The problem is the dams have been touted as great for all kinds of recreation but the fact is they have screwed up anadromous fisheries and mitigation for salmon is now top priority. The thing that would help solve this would be removal of the lower Snake River dams. That would make these water level adjustments less necessary. If this is not done more and more water from the upper Snake will probably be demanded affecting both resevoir fishing and agriculture.
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The thing that gets to me is that they have also screwed up the fishing in the Snake above Brownlee - at least for me. They are running the river at flood stage to try to keep a little bit of water in Brownlee. Last year on this date the Murphy gage showed 3.92' and I was complaining about the high water. Today it was at 6.7'. The ramp at Marsing is under water.
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That's right, Bob. The Snake above Brownlee is still a resevoir and if you resevoir fisherman want good fishing you are at the mercy of wild salmon and the ESA, it's the law. The more we can do to bring back wild salmon and steelhead the less manipulation of Snake and tributary resevoirs will be required. The best thing that can be done for anadromous fish in Idaho is to make the Snake below Lewiston free flowing again. It would be smart if we all got behind efforts to remove the lower Snake dams.
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Sorry, Smartweed. I thought your comment was bassnbob. I understand your frusteration, do you see what I mean though?
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So your in favor of getting rid of the dams and putting in nuclear power plants??
I don't see that happening any time soon. Yes the best thing for anadromous fish might be to remove the dams but I am not so sure it is the best for the people that live in the north west. My opinion That would do nothing for me or my fishing and I don't want to see it happen. Ron
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But it probably would do a lot (removing Snake River dams) for your fishing if you fish in the resevoirs and the highly regulated upper Snake River. By assuring a much greater return of wild fish, dam removal will mean much less manipulation of Snake River flows and resevoir manipulation. Believe it or not, Ron, there are probably a great many more fisherman, commercial and sport, who would benefit from wild salmon and steelhead recovery then folks in the upper Snake who enjoy resevoir fishing for bass, crappies and catfish. Those are great sports, don't misunderstand me, but the Snake and Columbia salmon and steelhead runs were once the most amazing natural phenonenom on natural abundance on earth. Their destruction has been an unmeasurable tragedy. The best way to return any semblance of those wonderful runs would be to remove the barriers the lower Snake dams represent. And that would assure stabilty and improvement of upper Snake resevoir levels and river flows. It would benefit those of us who fish steelhead and Snake river bass above Brownlee. And believe me Ron, I do both. (and nuclear power is a not an issue. the power loss by snake river dams would not be missed. 4% of BPA's output!)
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Your saying that removing the dams would solve all problems but salmon runs in Alaska are also falling. The locals up there are complaining that the runs are getting smaller and smaller. They don't have dams an the rivers like we have. The fact is removing those dams will not guarantee that wild salmon and steelhead will ever recover. What it will do is uncover mud that will be looked at as an environmental waste site. Mercury, and other nasty stuff will be found and then the government will have to shell out billions to fix it. No leave the dams there will be the vote I make if I had to.
You said "great many more fisherman, commercial and sport, who would benefit from wild salmon and steelhead recovery then folks in the upper Snake who enjoy resevoir fishing for bass, crappies and catfish." SO you don't care about what other fishermen want just what YOU want. How about this I could care less about those guys that fish for salmon and steelhead. No really. You would throw all the guys that fish for crappie, blue gills, Bass and catfish under the buss just so you can have a steelhead or a salmon. Wow that is sportsmanlike of you. I am one guy that would throw the steelhead and salmon guys under the buss.
I don't care one bit if wild salmon came all the way to Shoshone Falls. Not everyone wants those fish, and those original strains of fish are gone. That is the honest truth. Here is another truth. I would catch a wild steelhead and cut it up for catfish bait. That is how much I don't care about them.
Leave the dams and forget about the fish that cost taxpayers tons of money every year. If they can't make it on their own forget about them. Maybe congress will fix the salmon issue like they fixed the wolf issue. Ron
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Sorry you feel this way, Ron, but I don't want to throw resevoir fishing under the bus. It is valuable and I appreciate it. I would like to see it stabilized and not have the flucuations that will always be necessary until wild salmon and steelhead are recovered. The ESA requires it. Dam removal will have it's environmental problems and cost, no doubt, but so does operation of the dams and the tremendous amount of mitigation costs presently being expended. In the long run dam removal will cost taxpayers less and ensure salmon recovery.
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I don't want to get into this discussion because I don't believe anyone really knows what will happen if those dams are removed. However, I also note that many of those in favor of removing the dams also want to remove all those "invasive species" of fish from the Snake and Columbia rivers: bass, crappie, catfish, perch, walleye, etc. etc.
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i am with ron for the most part on this . we have had very good salmon runs in the last 10 years with the dams. i HATE combat fishing so i refuse to steelhead or salmon fish . i got my belly full when i lived in alaska. and it's ten times worse here. and i would rather catch a 16 " bass, or 5 lb. cat than a 40 " salmon.
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Bass and catfish are not native and don't belong in Idaho! Salmon populations in AK are falling due to overharvest in the commercial spectrum. Give me a salmon or steelhead any day over a POS bass or catfish. We have had decent runs of fish over the dams but nothing like the historic numbers of fish prior to the dams. Its about time all the snake and columbia dams came down! If you hate combat fishing for salmon and steelhead in Idaho stay out of the spring time meat holes..... Plenty of other places to fish without people!
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Ron you gotta be kidding me. Talk about turning a blind eye or "throwing whomever under the bus" as you put it. Hate to tell you but the VAST majority of fisherman would VASTLY prefer abundant anadromous returns to catfish and the rest. Not to mention that those non-native species are like cockroaches and dam removal or anything else proposed will not eliminate them.
Not to mention the HUGE economic boost this state would benefit from if returns were brought back to historic levels.....I don't know if dam removal is the answer for sure but boosting returns of salmon and steelhead would be a huge win for everyone.
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