Lake Mayfield is open all year for fishing.
June 3, 2006
Today the lake surface temperature was 59° at 9:40 AM. It was partly sunny and the fish were biting!

Large Mouth Bass - Largemouth fishing continues to improve. As the water temperature continues to flirt with 60° the bass remain slow to bite. If we can string 3 or 4 sunny days in a row together the shallows will warm up quickly and the bite will be on. For now crank baits with a slow retrieve and wide wobble are the most effective.

Smallmouth Bass - It happens every year. Someone trolling for Rainbows hooks a smallmouth and can't figure out what is was. The Smallmouth taken so far have been accidental by catch so I suppose that if you went looking for them they could be found.

Rainbows / Kokanee - The fishing for Rainbows is almost as good as it gets. We have talked to many anglers over the last few days and it is the same story. If you think you are trolling to fast you are. If you think you are trolling slow enough, SLOW DOWN! One group was out for almost two hours and got not even a nibble. Another boat showed up and tied along side and the two boats used one motoer to move both boats. They landed 17 Rainbows in 30 minutes. We hope that is enough about trolling speed. The lake has settled into its patterns of Rainbows over Kokanees in deep water and the fat hold overs and natives in the shallow weed beds edges near deep water. Remember that wild rainbows and cut throats must be immediately released. Hatchery trout should have a clipped adipose fin and a healed scar.

Try a K&J Mini Troll with silver blades, red beads and a red Wedding Ring tipped with a nice hunk of worm. Corn with egg cure is also a good choice.

Perch - No reports on Perch.

Cut Throat - Size 16 Caddis in Sooty Dark Brown is working for Cut's in the small creeks in the area as well as for the native Rainbows. Nymphing a Turkey Bead head under an indicator or as a dropper off a Caddis worked well in the early evening.

Tiger Musky - The Tigers are up and moving in shallow water. They are following, but not biting. Try a Shallow Dog or Rainbow Trout crank bait. If you get a follow, pause and them move the bait. Increasing your retrieve speed as you get closer to the boat. Don't forget to figure 8 your bait before removing it from the water. Don't forget that if you see a Tiger and then lose him, it may have moved under your boat. Keep casting and figure 8. Thirty pounds of fin and teeth on 3 feet of line is something you won't soon forget.

If you are in the mood to try a Tiger on a fly, leech patterns and bait fish patterns should be work cast to hovering fish.

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