Author Topic: Lake Lowell (Read 11586 times)

WalksOnH2O · « **Reply #30 on:** Jan 10, 2015, 10:15 PM »

I'll be out there in the morning. Can't shake this itch to walk on water,

WalksOnH2O · « **Reply #31 on:** Jan 11, 2015, 02:34 PM »

Lowell: West Boat Ramp
Ice 3.5-4" of clear ice
I fished 12'-14' of water right out from ramp. 2 hours and didn't mark 1 fish.
Still skunked for 2015

Hardwater hunter · « **Reply #32 on:** Jan 11, 2015, 09:43 PM »

Don't know if this has any bearing on why we are not seeing any fish in front of the nampa dam. Month and a half
ago I was out there to check on the conditions. And I saw two boats drag netting about 300 yards out. Didn't hang
around to see what they pulled up or what they were after. It just seems a bit peculiar to me. I caught fish every
time I was out there last year.

Bigggcountry · « **Reply #33 on:** Jan 11, 2015, 11:35 PM »

This week on the show Bottom Feeders on the Outdoor Network the were at Lake Lowell. They typically target trash fish. I'll bet that was who you saw.

ID_IceRookie · « **Reply #34 on:** Jan 11, 2015, 11:53 PM »

Maybe it is this?
http://www.idahopress.com/news/carp-for-sale-idfg-considers-paying-fishermen-to-remove-carp/article_e746456a-ce1c-11e0-b6b2-001cc4c002e0.html

I am a biologist and have run a gill net a few times. In my experience, perch don't fare well. They have too many pointy spines which get tangled up in the net. That said, I don't know the mesh size of their nets or have enough information to point fingers.

hooknhunter · « **Reply #35 on:** Jan 12, 2015, 04:11 PM »

Anyone go out today?

donnie2guns · « **Reply #36 on:** Jan 12, 2015, 08:31 PM »

Hmm, carp netting might explain some things? I'm not the greatest fisherman so it's not a huge surprise to me when I don't catch fish, but I spent about 12 hours out there this weekend and no one I talked to caught fish.

WalksOnH2O · « **Reply #37 on:** Jan 12, 2015, 11:53 PM »

I'm not an expert of Lowell but I this was weird.
I checked a dozen holes and never marked any
Weeds. Maybe the weed beds & habitat were ruined.

rickgehrke · « **Reply #38 on:** Jan 13, 2015, 12:08 AM »

Someone needs to call DFW and see if they know anything.

Bardic · « **Reply #39 on:** Jan 13, 2015, 02:17 AM »

How clear is the water? Might be worth it to anyone going out to drop in some ReelWeeds, or a couple of black garbage bags with a rock in them and some line up to a float to create some artificial weeds and structure while you are there.

hooknhunter · « **Reply #40 on:** Jan 13, 2015, 06:52 AM »

Quote from: Bardic on Jan 13, 2015, 02:17 AM

a couple of black garbage bags with a rock in them and some line up to a float

Oh........ I'm pretty sure I'm against that. How you going to get that trash/pollution back after you drop it in?

Hamstn · « **Reply #41 on:** Jan 13, 2015, 10:16 AM »

Not sure how much of an impact it was, but the lake was drawn down to almost empty this year and then brought up to the current level in Oct. and Nov.

the chief · « **Reply #42 on:** Jan 13, 2015, 11:44 AM »

there are weeds they die off this time of year and here we have to fish by the dams not a lot of weeds any way

TightLine21 · « **Reply #43 on:** Jan 13, 2015, 08:54 PM »

Quote from: rickgehrke on Jan 13, 2015, 12:08 AM

Someone needs to call DFW and see if they know anything.

I sent an email to IDFG yesterday, I'll let you know if I hear anything.

Bardic · « **Reply #44 on:** Jan 13, 2015, 11:41 PM »

Quote from: hooknhunter on Jan 13, 2015, 06:52 AM

Oh........ I'm pretty sure I'm against that. How you going to get that trash/pollution back after you drop it in?

With the line that comes up to you hole with a float on it. The ReelWeeds come with a handy wrap thing that can't fall through the hole so you can wrap them up when you are done. The ones I made have heavy fishing line and a styrofoam float that I wrap the line around when I'm done for the day. I used garlands from the craft store, but someone suggested trash bags with a pingpong ball sized rock and a string up to the hole (not the hole you drop your hook down)

Like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9qzqt5bDp8

hooknhunter · « **Reply #45 on:** Jan 14, 2015, 07:52 AM »

As long as you are not dropping it down and leaving it there I guess I'm fine with that. I just envisioned a bunch of trash bags floating up off the bottom with rocks in them holding them down. Wouldn't be good for the fish and would be a nightmare for softwater anglers.

One other thing. I'm not sure that's such a good idea. I've fished for perch near weeds before and I noticed a very strong trend that in holes where I could see weeds on my sonar (anywhere in the cone), I didn't catch fish. Only in the holes without weeds in my cone. For me, I'm fishing the more open water.

Ramjetroger · « **Reply #46 on:** Jan 14, 2015, 09:59 AM »

I fished E Nampa ramp yesterday mid day. With other commitments in the AM it was to late to drive to Cascade by the time
I could get headed out to fish.
I wanted to try out some new jigs so headed out to Lake Lowell. I talked to 3 other fishermen who had fished since
the morning without a bite.
I marked one fish on my finder while using bate and marked a few while using jigs, but no bites. Still nothing for me this
year at Lake Lowell. Last year we caught 3 different species of fish and saw a fourth caught while there.
I don't understand why there aren't any of these 4 species being picked up this year except for the one reported earlier.
I hope this isn't the new norm for this lake!

ft487 · « **Reply #47 on:** Jan 15, 2015, 01:17 PM »

I know some of you are going to disagree with this but Lake Lowell has been over fished for Perch. A couple of years ago we had back to back years with really hard freezes where ice fishing lasted for months. The summer before while bass fishing you could hardly fish for bass without having Perch hit your bait. That winter, I saw people take 3 sometimes 4, five gallon buckets full of perch and those were just the people I saw. The next year, after the first long Ice fishing season there was a noticeable difference in the Perch hitting your bait, not often. The next year, ice fishing lasted longer than normal and people still caught a few Perch but not near the numbers like the year before. Last year while bass fishing, I never had one Perch hit my baits that I knew of. Now, it sounds like hardly anyone's catching Perch. I know Perch go in cycles and I hope that's the case but the lake isn't that big and that deep. The deeper spots are near the dams and have been pounded for years. I don't think Lowell has very much, if any, cover in the winter months for bait fish. I for one would prefer a limit or no ice fishing. It's no easy to over fish Lowell. I love to ice fishing and it is real nice to be able to fish Lowell because it's so close. But I'm afraid it will take a long time to get back to were it was a few years ago.

rickgehrke · « **Reply #48 on:** Jan 15, 2015, 01:58 PM »

I wonder why they don't stock it with perch.

Woodland · « **Reply #49 on:** Jan 15, 2015, 02:51 PM »

ft487,
Over fishing doesnt explain why no fish are being caught. If people were keeping fish > 6" 2 years ago (why would you keep anything under 6"!?) , all that would do is remove competition allowing the smaller fish to grow faster. I suspect it is something biological.

Quote from: ft487 on Jan 15, 2015, 01:17 PM

I know some of you are going to disagree with this but Lake Lowell has been over fished for Perch. A couple of years ago we had back to back years with really hard freezes where ice fishing lasted for months. The summer before while bass fishing you could hardly fish for bass without having Perch hit your bait. That winter, I saw people take 3 sometimes 4, five gallon buckets full of perch and those were just the people I saw. The next year, after the first long Ice fishing season there was a noticeable difference in the Perch hitting your bait, not often. The next year, ice fishing lasted longer than normal and people still caught a few Perch but not near the numbers like the year before. Last year while bass fishing, I never had one Perch hit my baits that I knew of. Now, it sounds like hardly anyone's catching Perch. I know Perch go in cycles and I hope that's the case but the lake isn't that big and that deep. The deeper spots are near the dams and have been pounded for years. I don't think Lowell has very much, if any, cover in the winter months for bait fish. I for one would prefer a limit or no ice fishing. It's no easy to over fish Lowell. I love to ice fishing and it is real nice to be able to fish Lowell because it's so close. But I'm afraid it will take a long time to get back to were it was a few years ago.

ft487 · « **Reply #50 on:** Jan 15, 2015, 05:58 PM »

I don't think Lowell is the type of fisherie that can sustain heaving fishing all year for Perch. All the Perch seemed to be the same size or close to it. You remove the breeders then there's not a lot of recruitment for the future. I don't think there was much fishing for Perch prior to a few years ago (could be wrong). I know a bunch of Bass clubs with the fish and game transplanted quit a few Perch from CJ. I'm not sure on the date but I think it was 6 to 10 years ago. Which might explain why there were a lot of Perch in the 9 to 14 inch range. The year previous to the really good one 3 years ago. I saw a few Perch while bass fishing and thought to myself I didn't even know there were Perch in here. The next year there were Perch everywhere. I don't think there is one answer to the problem but fisheries can be over fished and I think Lake Lowell was the last couple of years. I hope not because I want my Bass to grow fat and sassy.

the chief · « **Reply #51 on:** Jan 15, 2015, 06:28 PM »

they have a huge carp problem in the lake they working on it if they can remove them the other fish will due better I talk to fg last week about it .

slippery1 · « **Reply #52 on:** Jan 15, 2015, 07:28 PM »

I don't believe you could possibly over fish a lake that size when you can't further than 200 yards from the dam.

Hamstn · « **Reply #53 on:** Jan 16, 2015, 06:20 AM »

I think maybe you could impact an area but not the whole body of water. There used to be perch off of Gott's point but that was 35 years ago.

ft487 · « **Reply #54 on:** Jan 16, 2015, 12:07 PM »

I guess we will have to disagree. I do think you can over fish some lakes. The dynamics of Lowell being a shallow lake with very few deep spots,no cover, lots of Carp and all the bass all play a role. But, I think the tipping point was a much longer than usually Ice fishing season and the Perch being targeted more than usual in the. Combine all of that and you see a crash. I really do believe if all those Larger Perch were not taken out the last 3 previous years you wouldn't see the lack of Perch. I was out there too catching Perch just like the hundred of others and I did keep about 20 one time but I also released a lot more than I kept. I wish the fish and game would put more structure out there. They used to put Christmas trees out there on the Ice so the bait fish and others would have some cover when the ice melted. I thought about doing that with my left over Christmas trees from my lot but we only had 8 left.

J_T_M · « **Reply #55 on:** Jan 17, 2015, 11:29 PM »

Relax this lake has not been over fished, I have been fishing this lake since the very early 80's. This is just a warm year and in my opinion the fish are not ready for this cold. They will get hungry soon......

RTRSHOOTER · « **Reply #56 on:** Jan 20, 2015, 10:22 AM »

I just wanted to see if anyone has been out to check the ice?

Idajarhead · « **Reply #57 on:** Jan 20, 2015, 04:53 PM »

We caught and transported crappie. It was way fun. I don't recall perch from cj going to Lowell. We did crappie twice I was involved with.

POPNSON · « **Reply #58 on:** Jan 29, 2015, 10:15 AM »

Want to take my son to over to Lowell does anyone know how thick the ice is on the upper dam?

the chief · « **Reply #59 on:** Jan 29, 2015, 10:22 AM »

not good was there yesterday very thin

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Author Topic: Lake Lowell (Read 11586 times)