Palo Verde Diversion Dam Fishing Report

Stripers live in the river year-round, though the best fishing is in the spring, summer, and early fall. The bigger bass are caught in the big deep holes below Watt Avenue, which is the takeout for most of the fly-rod fishing in the river. But, small to medium-size bass swim during the complete upper river, particularly after midsummer when water temperatures rise. Like bass everywhere, they favor to feed early and late in the day. (stripers247.com)

      Laguna Dam, 12 miles North of Yuma, was the 1st dam constructed on the Colorado River. Construction happened from July 1905 till March 1909. Steamboat traffic on the Lower Colorado River was not possible consequently of this dam being finished, forever blocking access to points north. The symbol found inscribed on and near this bridge served for 3000 years to represent good luck, life, power, strength, and sun. It wasn’t till years after the Laguna Dam was built that this symbol became the hated symbol of Nazi Germany, the swastika! With the construction of the Imperial Dam, the Laguna Dam became redundant and the dam not diverts water from the Colorado River. (yumazone.com)

Lake Havasu isn’t a natural lake, however instead is made by Parker Dam, which is part of the Metropolitan Water District’s Colorado River Aqueduct. Yes, Lake Havasu just exists to be the forebay for the pumping plant which supplies Southern California with a good part of its water. I have greatly photographed the Colorado River Aqueduct and promise one day to put together either a post or a slideshow on the system. (mavensphotoblog.com)

A couple of big trout were taken out of the East Verde south of Pine and Strawberry earlier this month. Aaron Cox of Strawberry caught a rainbow that calculated 23 1/2inches long in the East Verde just off the control road near Whispering Pines and the Houston Mesa Road. Not to be outdone, Jack Kearns of Pine stated taking a fish 28 1/2inches long out of the East Verde above the Rim Trails subdivision. These two lunkers have caused a pretty stir in the neighborhood. The big ones are out there, you just have to find them. Kearns’ big fish is thought to be an incentive fish placed by the Game and Fish Department and measures just 4 inches short of the state record. (azcentral.com)

Below the Black Canyon, the river lessens in gradient and in its lower course goes in a broad sedimentary valley’s distinct estuarine plain upriver from Yuma, where it’s joined by the Gila River. The channel through most of this region is bedded in a dike-like embankment lying above the floodplain over which the escaping water spills in time of flood. This dike cuts off the flow of the river to the extraordinary low area in southern California called the Salton Sink, Coachella Valley, or Imperial Valley. The Salton Sink is below sea level; so, the descent from the river near Yuma is much greater than the descent from Yuma to the gulf. (newworldencyclopedia.org)

Throughout daylight, fishing is tough with only a random boil that could happen anytime, any place, then not repeat. Spooning is good if a school is found but they move quickly out of the zone. Cooler temperatures will improve spooning results as shad move deep. Trolling works near the inflows where shad abundance is high. At Hite and upper San Juan use a deep diver to get down 20-feet and near the lazily moving stripers. For this week the best bet is to fish for bass around shad schools located in the backs of many brushy coves. Surface lures tossed near brush with shad are whacked with regularity morning and evening. (havasunews.com)

This is where Palo Verde farms and MWD may have found an ideal agreement. By just leasing their entitlement to water instead of selling it, the farmers are not permanently divorcing their water from the land. Over the last decade they have been testing a transaction allowed by Colorado River water law where they leave a part of their water unused — and MWD can take it. Rules bound how much water may be moved and for how long. It was shown to keep the most of the water on the land, keep farms in business, support water’s economical use, and also turn water into a cash crop that cities want to pay for. (latimes.com)

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‘One need only look at a study in Yaqui Valley to see the neurological effects of pesticide poisoning demonstrated in kids. The test group involved young kids living in valleys where pesticides were used heavily, and were compared to a control group living in the foothills where pesticide use was unusual. The kids from the foothills drew regular kindergarten-style illustrations of families and individual people, but the kids from the valley could only draw incomprehensible scribbles and lines. Guilette, E. A. Et. Al. 1998, Environmental Health views 106: 347-353. This and many other analysis have confirmed the danger of our billion dollar pesticide business, and still majority of people remain unaware of its well-established links to cancer and other illnesses like fibromyalgia, infertility, lower birth weights, increased birth defects, among others. (Visit the site)

Terry Gunn 4/4/11: Good News!! As of today, the water goes have dropped back to 16, 000-cfs constant for the near future most probably till May 1 . This is good news for the fishing throughout this time of year. Early April is historically the beginning of epic midge hatches, and also the lower goes should let access to some number of wading spots to take benefit of the prolific midge hatches and increased trout feeding activity. Also to the feeding fish, there are spawning fish during the river and many fish are spawning in shallow water regions that has seen no spawning activity since the 90 s caused by the lower water goes that have resulted from the drought. (hookedaz.com)