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American Falls Below Dam Fishing
#1
Hi Idaho BFT Fisherman - a few questions from the guy who is going to take his boat out below the dam for the FIRST time in late May.....

I quessing the run-off will be going full steam by the end of April with the amount of snowpack - how is the water color/clarity during the run-off? Does it get brown and raging? or does the dam make tend to make it fishable?

How are the hazards fishing below the dam?
Is is just a rocky bottom that you snag alot?

If you haven't guessed we're trying for the big fish species.. any helpful hints would be appreciated - I have fished in current below dams on the Columbia so I have the anchor drill down but it's been a while.

Thanks in advance for helping me out - it's appreciated...
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#2
Sorry I do not know much about boating below the dam. If anyone is wading be very careful. There are multiple ledges that drop off into deep water and have under tows. My Uncle died a couple of years ago wading around massacre rocks. He stepped off of a ledge and his waders filled with water before anyone could do anything about it.

Let us know how it goes.

I hope some one with more experience boating chimes in.

Windriver
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#3
Lundman,

I'd bet the Snake will be raging clear into June this year. I wouldn't take my boat (22' Alumaweld sled with a 200 outboard jet) out down there. If you do, I'd take someone that has run that section of river a bunch.

If I was to anchor in that section, I'd have a very sharp knife handy near the bow cleat, and (please NEVER DO THIS in moving water...) never anchor both the bow and stern. I've seen a couple of boats go down because the front anchor let loose and the back stuck.

All that being said, I suggest you look at water a bit downstream for gators from the boat, or fish the section below Am. Falls from the bank.

The sturgeon fishing is picking up down here already. We have been getting a couple fish a trip. It isn't fast and furious by any means, but on the right day you can hook up a few times.
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#4
Many people with boats fishing below the dam will often tie there boat off along the shoreline to fish. There are some who anchor in the middle off the river a couple hundred yards downstream of the dam. From the shoreline I can cast with my sturgeon rod just about anywhere I wanted to fish. A boat would help with fighting a fish though. If I wanted to fish for sturgeon below the dam in late May I would avoided Memorial Day weekend and try fishing a weekday and also look into fishing at night. I live in Pocatello and when I want to fish for sturgeon I drive past American Falls to fish the Snake in SW Idaho.

After the fishing season opens on Memorial Day weekend it will be very crowded below the dam. I believe there are 300+ anglers fishing below the dam on the opener every year. This leaves little room for guys with sturgeon rods. Finding room to cast will be difficult and when fighting a sturgeon it would be even worse. Trout anglers would not all be happy about moving their lines so a sturgeon angler can fight a fish.

The water below the dam is never muddy from run off in the spring. However, it does get muddy in September and/or October if the reservoir is very low. Here is a link to a graph that shows that shows the river level below the dam.
[url "http://www.usbr.gov/pn-bin/graphwy.pl?amfi_q"]http://www.usbr.gov/...in/graphwy.pl?amfi_q[/url]
The amount of water coming out of American Falls Dam is mostly affected by irrigation demands. Irrigation demands are always high in late May and early June.

There is a good current below the dam. The uneven rocky bottom makes getting an anchor stuck a possibility. If you have experience anchoring in strong currents and know your limits you shouldn't have any problem.

Good luck.
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#5
How many ounces are used for sturgeon fishing to keep the bait on the bottom in high and low water? I have never fished there but will take someone this summer.
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#6
The fishing below the river from my experience lately has been slow....Im hoping for a pickup this year.

The river is usually pretty mellow after the runoff, regulated by the dam, but who knows what can happen after this year and it's good percipitation amounts.

I went down there over the weekend, and it was looking pretty sweet.

The only piece of advice I can give you is to be careful, and steer clear of the island. My dad and I have had plenty of grins on a boaters expense, when their props hit the rocky island, and oops...a couple hundred dollars in damage.

I personally don't anchor off, unless its down around the "island" that I speak of. In my opinion, its best to just take your boat up, to where you start noticing some nice whirlpool action, and drift down from there, until you pass the last dock (fourth dock not counting the handicap).

good luck
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#7
Craig, you would be disappointed with the quality of the sturgeon below American Falls dam. I only made one trip up there and fished it from the shore. The sturgeon reminded me of brood trout (except much larger of course) planters from the fish hatcheries. Many of their fins were worn off. I also learned that the sturgeon there prefer fresh fish for bait. I tried the bait that we use at CJ Strike and they weren't very interested. One guy was slamming them on freshly caught white fish. Also be prepared to donate lots of lead to the rocks. Great place to use your railroad spikes.
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