Deer Creek Reservoir
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Deer Creek Reservoir Fishing Reports
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Reports from all past years within a 60-day time frame
Species
Smallmouth BassSeason
Winter
Technique
Drop Shot
Structure
Ledges
Species
WalleyeSeason
Winter
Technique
Soft Swimbaits (Sm/Md)
Structure
Ledges
Forage
Minnows
Water Temperature
41°
Still finding a few smallmouth and walleye in deep water. If you're looking for trout, they can be caught by fishing the upper water column with swimbaits and jerkbaits. Smallmouth and walleye are on the bottom in deep water next to sharp drop offs or deep rock structure. We're mostly catching smallmouth and walleye on small swimbaits like the 2.8 keitech fat swing impact. To get down, we're putting it on a 1/0 1/4 Oz jighead. We've found some erratic hops and shakes can trigger fish, but with the colder water, a soft lift and drop has been most productive. If you're casting from the bank, use a football jighead to crawl over rock. A bullet head is great for getting down faster, but will wedge into rock structure. From a boat, it would be a good time to use a hover stroll or damiki rig.
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
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
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.
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
Yellow PerchSeason
Spring (Post-Spawn)
Technique
Ned Rigs
Structure
Brush Piles
Smallmouth bass are sitting on the deeper bushes in the coves. Lot of active bass. Water temps where at 57 degrees. Good time to get out and get em. Keep your baits small, for more bites.
