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Lake Powell Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Lake Powell: the Glen Canyon reservoir across the Utah-Arizona line, where striped bass and walleye have no limit and record-low water has closed most launch ramps.

Most ramps out of the water. The National Park Service says only the Wahweap Stateline auxiliary ramp, Bullfrog North (at your own risk) and the Bullfrog primitive ramp take motorized boats at the current level; Halls Crossing and Hite are closed and the lake no longer reaches Hite (page updated 7 October 2026). Source, read October 8, 2026.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Lake level
3524.20 ft -175.80 vs pool
Air / High
60 / 61 F
Wind
WSW 9 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 09379900, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Lake Powell offers the kind of conditions this water was made for. The gauge reads 3524.20 ft, 175.80 ft below pool, up 4.50 over the week. Today brings clear skies, wind WSW around 9 mph, steady pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 61. Water sits around 74 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 10:02 AM-12:02 PM and 10:30 PM-12:30 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Striped bassExcellent

Use electronics to find shad schools in open water, and watch for birds working over bait.

Catfish (blue, channel)Good

Spawning season from late May into summer: Iowa DNR suggests drifting bait under a float along riprap and snags where males guard nests in cavities.

WalleyeGood

Summer pattern: nightcrawlers and leeches on rigs or jigs near bottom, trolled crankbaits to find scattered fish, and the shallows after dark in clear lakes.

CrappieFair

Early in this band crappie are spawning in protected coves; afterward they move to docks, brush piles and standing timber near deeper water.

Tomorrow: Similar at 57 F with a rain chance. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made β†’

Before you go

Utah requires a fishing licence from age 12, from $40.00 for residents. What a Utah licence costs and where to buy it β†’

Chasing striped bass here? Check the size and bag limits with UDWR before you keep anything. The season dates for Utah, read off the agency, are on the Utah seasons page.

Water and weather

Live readings from Lake Powell at Glen Canyon Dam, AZ.

Water level, last 30 days

USGS gauge 09379900. Conservation pool is 3700 ft.

3549.363608.703668.05pool 37003524.20 ft09/2310/0310/1310/23

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp60 F
High / Low61 / 51 F
WindWSW 9-11 mph
Pressure1013.6 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 16%
Sunrise / Sunset07:38 / 18:35
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~74 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Which day to fish Lake Powell this week

The best day on Lake Powell this week looks like Tuesday Oct 27, at 5 out of 5, against 3 today.

Best day this week: Tuesday, Oct 27 β€” excellent at 5/5, falling pressure, usually the best window of a week.

Today, Oct 23 β€” Fair

A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Solunar majors
10:02 AM-12:02 PM and 10:30 PM-12:30 AM
Minor period
4:25 AM-5:25 AM
Sun
07:38 to 18:35
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 11 mph
Rain chance
16%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

The species that matter on Lake Powell: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Striped bass illustration

Striped bass

Best: spring and fall inland; on the coast, during the seasonal migrations

The largest of the temperate basses, a sea-run fish of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts that now also lives in reservoirs across much of the country after hatchery stocking. Inland, it follows schools of shad and herring through open water. Use electronics to find shad schools in open water, and watch for birds working over bait.

Catfish (blue, channel) illustration

Catfish (blue, channel)

Year-round, best at dusk and after dark

Three big catfish share most of the country's rivers and reservoirs: the channel catfish, the most widespread; the blue catfish, the largest; and the flathead, which hunts live fish. All feed mostly on or near the bottom. Spawning season from late May into summer: Iowa DNR suggests drifting bait under a float along riprap and snags where males guard nests in cavities.

Crappie illustration

Crappie

Best: the spring spawn; summer around docks, brush and the thermocline

Two slab-sided panfish, the white crappie and the black crappie, that gather around submerged timber, brush piles, docks and bridge pilings in lakes, reservoirs and slow river backwaters. Texas Parks and Wildlife counts crappie as the state's most popular panfish. Early in this band crappie are spawning in protected coves; afterward they move to docks, brush piles and standing timber near deeper water.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: spring and late fall, around dawn, dusk and night

A cool-water perch of large lakes, reservoirs and rivers whose reflective eyes are built for low light, so it feeds most at night and in murky water. The Missouri Department of Conservation ranks it among the continent's most important freshwater game fish. Summer pattern: nightcrawlers and leeches on rigs or jigs near bottom, trolled crankbaits to find scattered fish, and the shallows after dark in clear lakes.

When to come: the Lake Powell calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Striped bass
Catfish (blue, channel)
Crappie
Walleye
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 74 F (estimated, not a reading).

5060708090JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~74 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Lake Powell today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Striped bass led the card at excellent. High of 65 F, wind to 13 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Striped bass led the card at excellent. High of 63 F, wind to 11 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

5/5 Excellent. Go now. Everything lines up: pressure, wind and light are in your favor. Striped bass led the card at excellent. High of 75 F, wind to 7 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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Before you go

License

Utah requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

A valid Utah or Arizona fishing or combination license, resident or nonresident, covers both states' portions of the lake; follow the rules of the state where you are fishing. Utah's Lake Powell limits (2025-2026 guidebook): 20 smallmouth bass, 5 largemouth bass, 10 crappie, 25 channel catfish; no limit on striped bass or walleye. Spearfishing for bass is closed from April 1 through the fourth Saturday of June.

Access

Ramp status changes with every foot of water; check the NPS Glen Canyon 'Changing Lake Levels' page before towing. On Oct. 6, 2026 only the Wahweap Stateline auxiliary, Bullfrog North (own risk) and Bullfrog primitive ramps took motorized boats.

About this water

Reservoir on the Colorado River behind Glen Canyon Dam, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah and Arizona. Lake level on this page comes from USGS gauge 09379900, Lake Powell at Glen Canyon Dam.

Fishing Lake Powell: the full guide

Fish in the canyon

The National Park Service notes that before Glen Canyon Dam the silty Colorado River held mainly native suckers, bonytail and chubs, and that introduced bass, crappie, walleye, bluegill and catfish now thrive in Lake Powell's clear water. Protecting the native endangered fish remains the park's highest priority, and the four endangered natives on Utah's prohibited list must be released at once if caught.

Striped bass

Utah's rules set no limit on striped bass or walleye in Lake Powell. Dead striped bass from the lake may be used as bait or chum there, dead Lake Powell shad may be used as bait only in the lake, and gaffs may be used only to land stripers. A joint Utah-Arizona mercury advisory covers striped bass in the southern part of the lake, from mile 43 to the dam.

Record-low water

NPS reported the lake at 3,519.04 feet on Oct. 6, 2026. At that level the park listed the Wahweap Stateline auxiliary ramp open to motorized boats (plate mats needed), the Bullfrog North ramp usable at your own risk for boats under 25 feet and the Bullfrog primitive ramp open, while the Wahweap main and Stateline ramps, Antelope Point public ramp, Halls Crossing and Hite were closed to motorized launching. The Hite ramp is out of water and the lake does not reach Hite.

Common questions

Why is there no limit on Lake Powell stripers?

Utah's Lake Powell rules set no limit on striped bass (or walleye); keep in mind the mercury advisory for stripers from mile 43 to the dam.

Do I need both a Utah and an Arizona license?

No. NPS says a valid license from either state, resident or nonresident, lets you fish both portions, as long as you follow the rules of the state you are in.

Which Lake Powell ramps are open?

On Oct. 6, 2026, at 3,519 feet, NPS listed the Wahweap Stateline auxiliary ramp and the Bullfrog North and primitive ramps for motorized boats; Halls Crossing, Antelope Point public and Hite were closed.

Is fishing good at Lake Powell right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Colorado River48 miOtter Creek Reservoir95 miFish Lake107 miPanguitch Lake108 miMinersville Reservoir132 miHuntington Creek156 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

River and reservoir readings
USGS 09379900 β€” Lake Powell at Glen Canyon Dam, AZ
Read from the USGS Water Data API (api.waterdata.usgs.gov). Latest value timestamped 2026-10-23 at 18:45 UTC.
Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 37.1713, -110.8092 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 8, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 8, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.