While Powell anglers aren't apt to land many trophy specimens of either species, both stripers and smallies are abundant in the huge reservoir in southern Utah and northern Arizona. Unfortunately, we just don't have enough forage overall to sustain many trophy-size stripers. There's no limit on stripers. The major spring hotspots are at opposite ends of the reservoir, Gustaveson says. Because spawning stripers are drawn to moving water, they tend to concentrate at the Hite area on the north end of the lake near the Colorado River inlet and at the Glen Canyon Dam area on the south end.
Stripers hit jigs cast into shallow water over rocky structure in the early-morning hours.
After the sun hits the water, they move deeper, and then vertical jigging with silver or chrome spoons at 25 to 50 feet is the ticket. Baitfishermen should go with anchovies fished deep on Carolina rigs. As for smallmouths, there's almost no end to the action anglers can have at Lake Powell. The downside is that there are so many smallmouths in the lake now that only a small percentage are longer than 13 or 14 inches. The creel limit for Powell smallmouths is six.