Fishing Areas Map

Early Spring Update

Fish for fun areas
All lakes on property have been stocked recently and the fishing is great. The fish for fun areas have been giving up some nice trout up to 20” and the bass fishing is starting to heat up. The mornings are still pretty cool up on the mountain, therefore, the fishing has been best later in the day when the water has warmed up a few degrees.

Anglers targeting trout should check out Beaver, Muskrat and Otter ponds for the most consistent action. Best baits seem to be small spinners and spoons in gold or silver. Fly anglers have been doing well on small dry flies and wooly buggers in black, white or olive.

Special Regulation Areas

All special regulation lakes were stocked last week and have been fishing well, when the wind cooperates. Trout are starting to rise pretty well on Lake Gosling and Splitrock. I look for the Calibaetis hatch to get started soon. The wind has definitely been a factor as of late, and anglers looking for strikes have been fishing a lot of sub-surface offerings. Streamers have been taking some nice fish, but expect a lot of short strikes and vary your retrieve to entice wary fish. My go-to streamers are Clouser minnows in brown/white and zoo cougars in black or purple.

When the wind makes dry fly fishing difficult, indicators and nymphs will always catch a few fish. I prefer to use a tandem setup with two nymphs suspended 4-5 feet below a small indicator. Favorites include flashback pheasant tails, princes, green weenies and zebra midges. Strikes are subtle and fish spit hooks quickly, controlling slack line is critical when fishing this way.

Some large mouth have been caught in Gosling, but cool water temps are keeping the fish deep for now, the topwater bite is a bit delayed this year. A few days with temps in the 70s and it should be game on for some pre-spawn pigs in the shallows.

The lakes' stripers are cruising the banks and have been shy to bite, as always. Fishing member Frank Smith landed a 24”  striper last week, but wouldn't tell me what he caught it on.

 

- Justin Sparklin

Fly Fishing Coordinator

Seven Springs Mountain Resort