May is great time to fish Flaming Gorge
Mature rainbow move to locations where both shore and boat anglers can easily access them. The areas include points that jut into the reservoir and shorelines covered with small- to medium-size rocks.
Although the rainbows can't spawn successfully without running water, they move to these areas anyway, thinking they'd make good spawning locations.
Some of the best spots to try at Flaming Gorge include Sheep Creek Bay, Hideout Canyon, Lucerne Marina, Linwood Bay, Kingfisher Island, Antelope Flat, Swim Beach, Mustang Ridge and Sunny Cove.
Most points, boat ramps and bays in the Wyoming end of the reservoir also produce chunky spring rainbows.
Fish up to 25 inches were caught at Flaming Gorge in April.
Those fishing from shore can try casting a 1/16- to 1/8-ounce dark-colored jig in deeper water and bringing it to shore.
If the water isn't too deep, fishing a night crawler below a bobber also works well. Fishing on the bottom of the reservoir, with a single marshmallow near the eye of the hook and a night crawler below it, is also a good technique.
Fly fishermen can try using dark-colored Wooly Buggers, streamers or leech patterns with sinking line. Trolling along rocky shorelines in a float tube, with a fly trailing behind, is an effective technique. A slower presentation seems especially effective this time of the year.
The same techniques that work from shore will also work from a boat. Fish deeper water on points and rocky shorelines. The only difference is instead of casting away from shore, boaters should cast toward shore.
Make sure the jig gets down to where the fish are.
Some of the fish being caught may be mature females. They'll release eggs when handled. Since these fish can't spawn successfully in the reservoir, releasing eggs is not a problem.
Those releasing fish should keep the fish in the water as much as possible.
In the past, the great rainbow fishing has been available until mid-May, at which time the mature rainbows will head for deeper water.
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