Gunpowder River Report: 5/26/26
- Tight Lining MD
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Heading out to the Gunpowder River? Check out the most recent report of the stream from Mike Slepesky
If you want to put some of the skills I mention in this blog to the test, reach out to mike@tightliningmd.com to schedule a trip. My spring is full, summer schedule has a few days left, grab one of the last few days I have left to experience what the Gunpowder truly has when you unlock the skills to fish it consistently!
**Orders are available, but I am closing the online store starting 6/15 until approximately 7/15. We are moving and everything needs packed up! I am offering a 20% off inventory liquidation sale, you won't see this again for deals. Nets, leaders, flies are all on sale! No code required, just head over to the store and catch a deal!
Current Stream Temps- -48-59 degrees. Temps have been holding steady around 53, which is almost literally the most ideal water temp. Do not miss out on peak appetite!
Current Stream Levels- 29-40 CFS; levels are low for spring, but they are stable and there has been a slight "tint" to water and it is helping!
Current Bugs- BWO, Midges, Sulphurs, occasional Caddis. We are just about in prime hatch season! Best to go out for the final two hours of daylight
Use the advice below to help you net a few more fish the next time you step out on the water!
Tip #1 - Stop skipping the best water!
I cannot tell you the amount of times someone has said to me "I walk right by this water". I did a whole video around it, watch it last this week on Youtube! In general, especially this time of year, fish are absolutely in ankle deep water. Arguably they are also most active in this type of water too. I am talking about fishing riffles and runs that are approximately 12-18". That is more than enough water to host a fish, or two. Not to mention, if you can just get one fish out of each time you encounter this type of water, it will add up across your day. Slow down, fish it all, and make your day that much more productive!
Tip #2 - One and done
One of many fish that fell to a single nymph CDC France Fly in sz 16. It was nice to find a fly I never had to change and fish were keyed in on.
At 29 CFS, all you need is one fly. On my most recent outing not only did I only need one fly, but I actually really only needed one pattern. I fished a sz 16 France Fly for the first few hours, never changed it, and caught around 15 fish in 2 hours. When I finally did stumble onto some deeper holes, which are rare right now, I added a second fly. I started fishing a sz 14 Pheasant Tail and a CDC France fly. My two best fish of the day all came from the Pheasant Tail. Overall, you can benefit from fishing a simple single nymph and helps get you a better drift, by helping avoid two nymphs in competing currents and just being flat out too heavy right now.
Tip #3 - Go BIG and get the BEST FISH out of their home
A previous client of mine, Josh, just proved this point. I made a post about fishing bigger streamers with the recent rain and slightly stained water. He committed to giving it a shot and BOOM, he nailed a nice fish. I recently added Sex Dungeons to the website, which absolutely target bigger fish. They can easily be fished on a traditional fly rod, floating line, and roughly a 3x or 4x leader, though I would advise a 1x or 2x, seriously you might just be catching the fish of a lifetime and you want THICK leaders, almost rope, to help get them in and not be overpowered. Great job, Josh and thanks for sharing!
Josh with a nice Brown he got on an articulated Black streamer. When its overcast, rainy, or water has a stain, there is no better option. Great job, Josh!
Here are my picks for streamers:
Black Sculp Snack
*Black is easiest to see for you AND the fish. When water is slightly off color, this is my go to
*Most natural and imitates most bait fish in the system. Harder to see, but effective!
*Looks like a baby brown and gets eaten up because it looks like easy prey
Tip #4 - Take advantage, now is the window!
I cannot emphasize this enough, NOW is the time to fish. If you got out on Memorial Day weekend you maximized part of it. The rest of this week, and even into next looks perfect. No cold nights, no warm days, intermittent rain. Things are about to be ON FIRE, for the next few weeks. I bet tributaries, the Gunpowder, and all trout opportunities, will be good through June at this rate.
Although the flows aren't the best, the tributaries just saw a bump in flows, certain parts of the river are up, and in general the fish are finally happy. I recently fished, on Monday, and got about 20 in 3 hours. It was the best fishing I have experienced so far this year, after a cold and dry winter and early spring. Although fishing is always still good in July and August, it will not be as good as now through June.
Therefore, if you have a "sick" day, go use it. If you have been waiting to use a "hall pass" to fish, ask now. In general, I would argue this will be the most active fish will be the rest of the year. Bugs are hatching, water has a slight stain, water temps are almost ideal, and although water is low, fish are spread out into all water types. Get out now, you won't regret it!
Get your boots wet and chase down some fish!
I hope this report, with tips included, helps you the next time you head out to the Gunpowder River. Be sure to head over to my Youtube Channel and see the latest adventure, head over to the store for euro nymphs for your next outing, and consider booking a trip for the summer through the website.