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Hello,
I am from Utah and I am a new member to Big Fish in general, but I thought I might ask for some help from you Idaho fisherman as I am going up there in two weeks and I will be fishing some unfamiliar waters without a boat, which really means I won't have the means or time to explore as much as I'd like. We have a cabin up near Targhee and The Tetons so on our way I'd like to stop at Devil Creek reservoir and try for some LMB.
I tried to find some specific information via google, but to be honest there isn't much. But I really only need to know a couple of things. First: If I only have about 8 hours total fishing time from shore, where would yall recommend? On the map I saw there is a large point just off the old 191 that seems good, but I don't know if it is accessible from shore. Is this point accessible to shore anglers? If anybody could give a link to to better map with access points, wow, that would be excellent.
My second question really is just if the bass will be biting by then? (April 5th-9th)
Again, I am only looking for general info on a completely foreign lake. I don't want to encroach on anybody's spots, just looking for a few tips on a new lake!
Thanks in advance!
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I've fished it maybe a dozen times and I had no idea that there were bass in there. I for sure have never caught one. In other lakes where I am fishing for trout and bass are in the lake, I usually pick up a couple. So, I can't help where to go to catch the bass on the lake, but I can at least say if people are catching bass then it sure isn't reported about on this site very often.
If you are looking for a great bass fishing lake, I would say this probably isn't the place.
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There are very few bass caught in Devil's creek . You will probably catch a few planter trout .
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Several years ago people were catching some very nice bass there. Unfortunately they were cleaned out pretty quickly. There are definitely some better options for bass in the area.
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Well darn. I'm sure glad I asked.
Where are some other lakes that hold bass in the area?
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Further east you have Weston, Condie, Winder, Glendale, Treasureton, Johnson, Twin and Lamont for largemouth. There is also Oneida which has smallmouth and walleye.
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It will be possible to catch bass in the area, but I wouldn't expect fast action by any means. The water temps will still be a little low around that time. Most years I look at the Memorial Day weekend as the time to start getting after the bass. Some years they still have lock jaw from a cold front. Other times it is about right. This year it might be a few weeks earlier, but not that much.
Windriver
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It's hard to say this year. The water is already getting into the low 50s and things are beginning to stir.
[inline "bass small.jpg"]
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Well thanks for all the advice fellas. I think I am going to give Condie or Glendale a try. They seem like they are pretty good reservoirs for bass and they aren't really out of the way for our journey. Any general tips or knowledge for these reservoirs?
Just to add to the bass activity... I know that some good size bass have been caught up north at Mantua (well north for me, perhaps south for some of you) and even Utah Lake. So I'm hopeful they may be active. Maybe a bit too hopeful, but I love hooking into the first good bass of the season. And besides, it's always fun fishing a new lake with new scenery!
Thanks again!
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A couple of years ago there was almost a complete kill off at Condie . Shallow , hot water did a number on the fish .
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Hmmmm...maybe I need to recalibrate my internal fishing clock.
Windriver
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Catching bass in March is a first for me. I'm used to fishing snow lined creeks for trout this time of year. What a strange year [crazy]
It should just get better. I was down south of the border today at Mantua and caught over 30 this afternoon, and that's right after all the cold, rainy weather we just had.
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Condie did indeed get very low in 2012 and a lot of fish died. The good news is that quite a few of the better fish were smart enough to avoid the pelicans until the levels went up. The other good news is that IDFG has been moving bass from Treasureton to Condie to give it a good kick start in recovery. I caught 20 something there in a couple of hours last September, so it should be on its way. Most were 14-16".
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That is very good news . Thanks for the information .
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