Deer Creek Reservoir
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Deer Creek Reservoir Fishing Reports
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Species
WalleyeSeason
Winter
Technique
Soft Swimbaits (Sm/Md)
Structure
Ledges
Forage
Minnows
Water Temperature
41°
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Winter
Technique
Drop Shot
Structure
Ledges
We found a few nice smallmouth on deep drop offs using a Zman TRD micro finesse bait on a dropshot. It seems like a strange combo, but the floating bait keeps it up off the bottom and has a very subtle action. Whatever approach you take needs to be extremely slow. Slow drag or slow handle turn and then a pause and let the bait marinate for a bit before repeating. For us reaction bait guys, it's a brutal way to fish, but it generated the few bites we needed to catch some November smallies. Best luck came on green pumpkin. If you're a trout fisherman, they seem to be very active and are willing to chase down jerkbaits, swimbaits, and the occasional dropshot. Most are cookie cutter sized rainbows between 14-17 inches.
Species
Largemouth BassSeason
Fall
Technique
Crankbaits 0-6'
Structure
Rock Pile
Forage
Bluegill
The lake is cooling rapidly. The fall transition is nearing its end. Largemouth can be found in coves and flats that have green sunfish and bluegill. If you find the bait, the Largemouth are likely close by. Smallmouth can be caught on more finesse techniques: dropshot, 1/16-1/4 oz jigs with 2.8-3.3 Keitech swimbaits, lightly weighted flukes, and jerkbaits. Walleye are also feeding up and we're catching quite a few on slow moving jerkbaits. Twitch, twitch, pause for 4-5 seconds. Make sure your jerkbait is tuned to suspend perfectly. Add a small lead strip if it's floating. Cover water if you don't find fish.
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Spring (Pre-Spawn)
Technique
Hard Jerkbaits
Structure
Rock Pile
Forage
Minnows
Been fishing Deer Creek about once a week since Januray. It's now April 2nd and ice came off about 2 and a half weeks ago. I primarily fish Deer Creek for smallmouth, largemouth, and walleye but during the early months of the year, I catch a lot of trout on bass and walleye techniques. Fishing for brown trout and rainbow trout between 15-20 inches has been good with Keitech swimbaits, drop shot, and moving baits like jerkbaits and lipless crankbaits. Over the last week I've started finding smallmouth bass moving up on to steep ledges and points. They're sluggish but they'll hit a slowly retrieved jerkbait with a slow cadence. Deer Creek has a lot of small smallmouth and early spring is a good time to find some of the bigger ones before the little guys rule the shallows. Water is cold in the low 40s.
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Summer
Technique
Crankbaits 0-6'
Structure
Boulders
Forage
Bluegill
Evenings are starting to get cooler. On windy days, the fish move into the shallows and are pretty aggressive. Shallow to medium diving crankbaits have been effective when there is a clear mud line. Fish can be as shallow as a foot or two, but most are 5-15 feet. When the power fishing slows or isn't effective, drop shotting has been effective for smallmouth. There are some really nice Largemouth mixed in with the smallmouth. An occasional walleye or rainbow trout are also caught on bass techniques. There are a ton of small fish so if you aren't getting anything, switch up techniques often and let the fish tell you what they want.
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Fall
Technique
Hard Jerkbaits
Structure
Boulders
Slayin smallies with the flatworms. Dropshot ¼oz with an owner sniper finesse #1 hook. Nose hooked with a 4.5" nat shad flatworm was the trick In 5-15" of water. 2022 daiwa XT 7'3 M Fast. Shimano Nasci 3000 Suffix 832 15# hi Viz yellow FC Sniper 10# leader.
Species
Largemouth BassSeason
Spring (Pre-Spawn)
Technique
Structure Jigs
Structure
Brush Piles
Forage
Crawfish
Some largemouth are moving to prespawn locations. A few have already made it to backs of bays on heavy structure. They aren't very noticeable and aren't chasing down spinnerbaits and chatterbaits just yet. Find heavy structure such as dead brush piles and fish right into the deepest junk. I fish a 7'2" heavy with 17-20 fluorocarbon. A variety of baits will work. Standard flipping/pitching jigs in green pumpkins, blues, and blacks work best. 4-5 Yamamoto double tail grubs or similar styled craw trailers. There isn't a ton of heavy structure at deer creek, but the rising water conditions have flooded all of the brush that grew from last years epic low water. If the brush provides visible shade, you should be in business. The smallmouth are still being a bit stingy. I've picked up a few on jerkbaits but fishing isn't consistent just yet.
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Summer
Technique
Drop Shot
Structure
Boulders
Forage
Minnows
Some smaller smallmouth are in shallow water but deeper water with steeper banks have been more productive. Small jigs, ned rigs, and swimbaits (2.8 keitech) will get some smaller fish. Larger smallmouth are on flats adjacent to deeper water. Top water, jerkbaits on fast retrieves, and dropshot style baits have worked. If you don't find them keep moving. They tend to be grouped up and there is a lot of unproductive water. We have picked up some Largemouth and crappie. 6-7" worms and crawfish styled jigs and baits have worked for largemouth. Crappie were chasing down bass sized jerkbaits.
Russell Cranney
Bronze Ambassador
8/5/23
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Summer
Technique
Drop Shot
Structure
Rock Pile
Water Temperature
72°
not huge but big enough to win big fish for that tournament.
