Lake Powell fishing conditions

Utah · Glen Canyon / Colorado River · 161,390 acres · max 560 ft

Canyon walls, brushy shorelines and striped bass boils

Sample dataUpdated October 19, 2026 — 1:03 AM

7.9out of 10

Current conditions

Very Good

Fishing score 79/100

How this score is calculated

Water temperature18.0 / 20

67°F and falling (-0.8°F / 3 days) against a 52–74°F active band.

Barometric pressure5.3 / 15

30.09 inHg and rising (+0.16 / 24 h).

Wind10.0 / 10

14 mph out of the NW. Ideal chop on wind-blown structure.

Water clarity6.8 / 10

17.9 ft of visibility. Very clear — downsize line and lengthen casts.

Water level8.6 / 10

+2.3 ft from normal pool and rising (+0.3 ft / 7 days).

Moon & solunar5.2 / 10

56% illumination. Quarter moon — weaker feeding periods, rely on light change.

Seasonal pattern10.0 / 10

Fall pattern is fully established, with light flow on a current-driven fishery.

Sky & rain15.0 / 15

55% cloud, 69°F air, 0 in of rain in 24 h.

What should I do today?

The single highest-percentage pattern for the conditions right now.

TargetSmallmouth Bass

Depth9–23 ft

LocationRock transitions, gravel flats, current seams and offshore humps

TechniqueNed rig / drop shot

Lure2.75 in Ned-rig finesse worm

ColorGreen pumpkin / smoke purple

RetrieveDrag and pause, 3–5 second pauses

Best window6:18 AM – 9:03 AM

WhyWater temperature is holding near 67°F, so the fall pattern is stable, rising post-front pressure tightens fish to cover and slows the bite, a 14 mph NW wind is stacking bait on the wind-blown banks.

Backup pattern

Topwater over surfacing schools at daylight for striped bass — Surface boils from July through September; anchovy chumming in the canyons works year-round.

Right now

Current conditions

Water temp

67°F

▼ -0.8°F / 3 days

Air temp

69°F

55% cloud cover

Wind

14 mph

Out of the NW

Pressure

30.09"

▲ Rising pressure — clearing behind a front

Water level

+2.3 ft

▲ +0.3 ft / 7 days

Clarity

17.9 ft

Light flow

Rain (24 h)

No meaningful runoff

Moon

56%

First Quarter · solunar 12/100

Sunrise

6:43 AM

Low-light window opens 25 min earlier

Sunset

5:35 PM

Evening window runs the last 2 hours

Season

Fall

Pattern driving today's plan

Best window

6:18 AM

Through 9:03 AM

Timing

Today's fishing windows

12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM11 PM

Solunar minor 212:36 AM – 1:36 AM
Solunar major 26:06 AM – 8:06 AM
Morning prime window6:18 AM – 9:03 AM
Sunrise6:43 AM
Solunar minor 112:36 PM – 1:36 PM
Evening window3:35 PM – 6:10 PM
Sunset5:35 PM
Solunar major 16:06 PM – 8:06 PM

Structure

Lake structure and depth zones

Typical structure profile for Lake Powell: sheer canyon walls and ledges, flooded tamarisk during high water, rock slides and talus points, backs of side canyons. Average depth 130 ft, maximum 560 ft.

Sheer canyon walls and ledges
Flooded tamarisk during high water
Rock slides and talus points
Backs of side canyons
Submerged river channel

Substrate

Bottom composition and why it matters

Rock 48%
Holds heat in spring and crayfish year-round — the first place smallmouth and staging bass set up.
Sand 20%
Clean bottom for bait schools and sight-feeding fish, but little cover — look for the edge where sand meets something else.
Gravel 18%
Primary spawning substrate. Fish stack on gravel transitions when water hits the 58–66°F band.
Clay 4%
Holds hard bottom in stained water and dumps the most colour after rain. Crankbait banks.
Mud 4%
Warms fastest in late winter and holds wintering bait, but goes dead in the summer heat.
Vegetation 4%
Oxygen, shade and ambush cover. The outside grass edge is the highest-percentage line on most lakes.
Timber 2%
Vertical cover fish use to change depth without leaving structure — key on standing timber during frontal swings.

Depth

Depth guide for today

Depth bands for today — adjusted for the fall pattern, current water temperature, cloud cover and wind.
Species	Depth today	Activity	Where they are here
Smallmouth Bass	9–23 ft	High	Everywhere there is rock. A 3 in tube or Ned rig in 10–30 ft catches fish all season.
Striped Bass	9–32 ft	High	Surface boils from July through September; anchovy chumming in the canyons works year-round.
Largemouth Bass	4–13 ft	High	Best when brush is flooded in the backs of the canyons.
Walleye	11–25 ft	High	An expanding population on mid-depth rock flats.

Targets

Target species at this water

Smallmouth Bass

Everywhere there is rock. A 3 in tube or Ned rig in 10–30 ft catches fish all season.

Active temp: 52–74°F
Structure: Rock transitions, gravel flats, current seams and offshore humps
Technique: Ned rig / drop shot
Bait: Crayfish, leeches
Lure: 2.75 in Ned-rig finesse worm (2.5"–4")
Color: Green pumpkin / smoke purple
Retrieve: Drag and pause, 3–5 second pauses
Best time: Mid-morning on cold fronts, low light in summer

Holds deep rock until water hits 48°F, moves to gravel spawning flats at 58–64°F, then splits between shallow current and 20–30 ft humps through summer.

Striped Bass

Surface boils from July through September; anchovy chumming in the canyons works year-round.

Active temp: 55–72°F
Structure: Open-water bait schools, river channels, dam tailraces and long points
Technique: Live bait planer boards / vertical jigging
Bait: Live gizzard shad or herring
Lure: 1 oz flutter spoon or 5 in swimbait (4"–7")
Color: Chrome / pearl white
Retrieve: Vertical lift-drop or steady mid-column pull
Best time: Dawn and the hour either side of dark

Runs up major tributaries in spring at 55–65°F, suspends over the thermocline through summer, and schools on the surface chasing shad once water falls under 70°F.

Largemouth Bass

Best when brush is flooded in the backs of the canyons.

Active temp: 58–82°F
Structure: Submerged grass edges, main-lake points, laydowns and dock lines
Technique: Texas rig / swimbait
Bait: Live shiners
Lure: 4.5 in paddle-tail swimbait (3.5"–5")
Color: Green pumpkin / natural shad
Retrieve: Slow to moderate, bottom contact every few feet
Best time: First 3 hours after sunrise and the last 2 before dark

Stages from wintering creek channels to secondary points at 52–58°F, spawns on hard bottom at 62–68°F, then slides to grass edges and ledges once surface water passes 78°F.

Walleye

An expanding population on mid-depth rock flats.

Active temp: 45–70°F
Structure: Gravel bars, rock reefs, break lines and river mouths
Technique: Jig and minnow / bottom bouncer with a crawler harness
Bait: Leeches, nightcrawlers, fathead minnows
Lure: 1/4 oz jig, 4 in ringworm (3"–5")
Color: Gold / firetiger in stained water
Retrieve: Drag slowly with the wind, short hops
Best time: Last hour of light through two hours after dark

Spawns on rock and current at 42–50°F, spreads over mid-depth flats through summer, and packs back onto sharp breaks as water cools under 55°F.

Patterns

Season-by-season patterns

Winter

48–52°F

Vertical spoon and drop shot on 30–60 ft rock; stripers stack in the main channel and can be chummed up.

Spring

58–72°F

Smallmouth spawn on rock ledges in 5–15 ft; if the lake is rising, flip the tamarisk for largemouth.

Summer

78–82°F

Striper boils at daybreak in the main channel; smallmouth on shaded canyon walls through the day.

Fall

60–76°F

The best smallmouth fishing of the year on main-channel points, with surface boils continuing into October.

Outlook

7-day fishing forecast

Day	Score	Water	Wind	Pressure	Level	Clarity	Best species	Technique	Best window
Today	79Very Good	67°F	14 mph NW	30.09"	+2.3 ft	17.9 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	6:18 AM – 9:03 AM
Tue	79Very Good	68°F	16 mph NE	29.79"	+3.8 ft	18.2 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	6:19 AM – 9:04 AM
Wed	87Excellent	66°F	9 mph N	30.11"	-11.5 ft	15.4 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	6:20 AM – 9:05 AM
Thu	79Very Good	65°F	6 mph W	29.71"	-11.5 ft	12 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	6:21 AM – 9:06 AM
Fri	91Excellent	64°F	5 mph W	29.76"	+2.8 ft	17.6 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	6:22 AM – 9:07 AM
Sat	87Excellent	64°F	12 mph N	29.84"	+0.8 ft	11.6 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	6:23 AM – 9:08 AM
Sun	88Excellent	64°F	15 mph SW	30.10"	-1.9 ft	16 ft	Smallmouth Bass	Ned rig / drop shot	6:24 AM – 9:09 AM

Trends

Last 7 days

Water temperature

+2 °F

67°F

TueToday

Barometric pressure

-0.2 "

30.087"

TueToday

Wind

-5 mph

14 mph

TueToday

Water level

-1.9 ft

2.3 ft

TueToday

Fishing activity

-5

TueToday

Water temperature has risen 2°F over the past week. Expect smallmouth bass to push shallower and feed earlier in the morning.

The water

About Lake Powell

Powell is a vast canyon reservoir with hundreds of side canyons, sheer sandstone walls and dramatic water-level changes. Smallmouth and stripers dominate; when the lake rises into the tamarisk and brush the bass fishing transforms, and when it falls the fish relocate to bare rock.

Surface area: 161,390 acres
Max depth: 560 ft
Average depth: 130 ft
Elevation: 3,570 ft
Typical clarity: 15 ft
Annual level swing: 40 ft
Coordinates: 37.070, -111.250
Region: Glen Canyon / Colorado River

Local knowledge

Expert notes

Striper boils are a sound-and-birds game. Shut the big motor down 100 yards out, drift in, and cast a small surface plug — running the boat into the boil ends it.
In falling water, ignore the backs of the canyons. Fish the first main-channel point outside the canyon mouth; that is where everything relocates within days.

Logistics

Access, ramps and boating

marina

Wahweap Marina

Main south-end access with fuel, houseboats and ramps.

marina

Bullfrog Marina

Mid-lake access from Utah; ramp status depends on lake level.

boat ramp

Antelope Point

Alternate south-end launch, often usable when others are not.

Rules

Regulations

A Utah or Arizona license with the Lake Powell reciprocal stamp covers the whole lake.
Striped bass: no limit — the agency encourages harvest.
Smallmouth and largemouth: 20 per day combined at Powell (verify current guidebook).
National Park Service fees and boating rules apply; quagga mussel decontamination is mandatory.

Always verify current regulations with the relevant state wildlife agency before fishing. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Transparency

Data sources

Where this data comes from

Conditions are modelled from each water's documented climate, structure and seasonal patterns. Modules marked “Live data integration pending” are not yet pulling from their API, so those values are clearly labelled as sample data rather than presented as real-time readings.

Weather API
Pending
NOAA / National Weather Service — Air temperature, wind, cloud cover, rainfall and barometric pressure with a 7-day forecast.
Water Level & Flow API
Pending
USGS Water Services — Reservoir stage, discharge and 7-day level trend from the nearest gauge.
Water Temperature
Pending
USGS / NOAA buoys — Surface water temperature and its multi-day trend.
Tide & Current API
Pending
NOAA CO-OPS — Tide predictions, current direction and speed for coastal zones.
Moon & Solunar
Live
Computed on-site — Moon phase, illumination and solunar major/minor periods are calculated from date and coordinates.
Water Clarity
Pending
Satellite imagery + angler reports — Visibility estimates by lake arm, refined by submitted fishing reports.
Fishing Regulations
Pending
State wildlife agencies — License, size and creel rules, linked to the official agency page for verification.
Map Data
Pending
Bathymetry + access point database — Depth zones, structure locations and boat ramps for the lake infographic.