09 Memorial Day Weekend Prospects

[Ken G]

Sitting on my deck and standing a little over a foot tall is a bucket. It was empty when I put it there. Last week during all that rain, by the end of the day on Thursday the bucket was filled to overflowing. Then it rained all day Friday.

When you check the USGS real-time stream gauge for the Fox River, you wonder where all that water went. The river barely blipped upward and has already started a steady march downward. A couple of the creeks I fish were barely affected too. While a couple more were overflowing.

So either the rain coverage was a lot spottier than it looked or the ground is finally absorbing more of it instead of letting it all head for the streams. It's also been a little cold. Not so much during the day, but at night. It's the warm nights that really begin to turn things on.

As of Monday the 18th, the forecast is calling for virtually no rain for the next 10 days. For the Fox River and the creeks that feed it, this means that by Memorial Day weekend all this flowing water might be in the best condition for some of the best fishing of the year.

Add a string of 80 degree days in there right before the weekend. Add a new moon for May 24th. Add the peak of prespawn, spawn and postspawn smallies.

It just doesn't get any better than that.

Over the last two days the rivers current speed has dropped by 1000 cubic feet per second. As of Monday the 18th at 11:30 A.M., it is flowing at 3300 cfs. When the current flow drops below 1000 cfs, you can pretty much wade anywhere you want. If the river keeps dropping like it has over the weekend, it will easily hit that magic number by Saturday.

Almost makes me wet my shorts just thinking about it.

Worst case scenario is that all this comes true except for the best fishing of the year part. Seen that, been a part of it. Couldn't buy a fish. But that's a glass half empty attitude and we're not going there.

For the rest of the week I'll continue to add to this, including where to go on the river. I won't be telling you where to go on the creeks because that's where I'll be.

I've mentioned them enough in the last few weeks. It's called research. Do it. You think I learned all this stuff by asking questions on fishing forums?

For starters, click on the following link, read through it and download the Fox River Map, then read through that.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=236

It's old, but relatively accurate. It only covers from the old South Batavia dam through Indian Trail Road. If all you did was fish the areas on this map, it could keep you busy for a couple of years.

[Ken G]

Wednesday, 4 PM Update.

I checked the stream gauge for the Fox around 10 PM Tuesday and it showed that it had flattened out at about 3330 cfs. It was no longer draining that fast. My mental calculations determined that come the weekend, the Fox would still be a little high, higher than I like.

As of Wednesday 4 PM, some time over the last 16 hours it's as if somebody flushed the toilet. The Fox is now flowing at 2630 cfs and dropping like a rock. I can only assume that the dams on the Fox Chain and in Algonquin are being screwed with. With the coming holiday weekend I'm sure there will be an increase of boats on the water, therefore they hold back more water for people to play.

Either way, at it's current drop rate the Fox may be around the 1200 cfs level by Saturday. Unless the drop rate flattens out again. This means by Monday the river will be in near perfect condition to wade damn near anywhere.

Again, that is in a perfect world. I'm getting out somewhere on Sunday and Monday for sure. A creek and a river no doubt. Or some combination of creeks and the river.

I'll make an effort to leave an update on Thursday and Friday, along with suggestions on where to go based on what the river is doing.

Now, as these things usually go, everyone that does get out will probably get skunked.

I've seen that before.

[Ken G]

Just like I thought, they must really be screwing around with the gates on the chain.

After the dramatic drop, the river flow leveled off again and has been creeping downward.

As of 9:44 AM Saturday it's at 2350 cfs. Good for wading around the edges, but not for getting too far out into the river.

Maybe by Monday it will drop more.

Not that it matters. It's the only day I'll probably get out fishing and I have some new water on Big Rock Creek to go exploring.

And a new camera to test out. Canon PowerShot D10. So far, pretty cool.