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Current Utah Fishing Reports

Here are this weeks fishing reports. Make sure to visit often as these reports are updated weekly. You can click on a region in the map or on a link to jump to the fishing report for that region.

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Northern Region report

Information compiled by Phil Douglass
DWR Northern Region Conservation Outreach Manager

Attention: Quagga and zebra mussels are a major threat to Utah waterways. Read how you can help keep them out of Utah.

Waterbody	Report
Bear Lake 2012-02-03 Fair	Call the Bear Lake recorded information line at 435-946-8501 for up-to-date lake conditions.
Birch Creek Reservoir 2012-01-24 Fair	Anglers report fair fishing for nice-sized tiger and rainbow trout. Be prepared for cold, windy weather. If you bring an ice tent (recommended) make sure you have ice anchors.
Blacksmith Fork River 2012-01-24 Fair	River conditions are good. A couple of anglers fishing the impoundment open water areas in the canyon had fair success for brown and rainbow trout using spinners.
Bountiful Lake 2012-02-03 Fair	Conservation Officer Wyatt Bubak reports that Bountiful pond is fishing fair using mealworms. Fish are caught in six feet of water.
Causey Reservoir 2012-01-24 Slow	Anglers report that fishing continues to be slow.
Cutler Reservoir & Marsh 2012-01-24 Slow	Cutler receives almost no fishing activity during winter months.
East Canyon Reservoir & State Park 2012-02-03 Good	Sergeant Keith Fullenkamp reports the fishing on East Canyon is good. Early morning fishing was significantly better than later-in-the-day fishing. Anglers need to fish precisely 12 to 14 feet to find active fish. Fish were biting on just about anything at that depth. Fishing success was pretty consistent all over the entire lake. The Rocky Hollow area showed slightly better results. Most rainbows caught were 12 inches long with some at 16 inches.
Echo Reservoir 2012-02-03 Unstable ice	Conservation Officer Rustin Nielsen reports fair fishing. Anglers had success catching trout using white or green tube jigs tipped with shrimp. Trout were caught about 10 to 15 feet below the ice. Fishing is best in the mornings and evenings. The ice is about 12 inches thick but the reservoir is filling up, so the ice at the edges is thin. Fishermen should use caution getting on the ice. Attention anglers: Echo is very dangerous to get on and off because of it's filling from runoff.
Farmington Pond 2012-02-03 Closed	The pond is closed for the season.
Holmes Creek Reservoir 2012-02-03 Unstable ice	One angler was observed on the ice on February 1, but the reservoir is filling up so the ice at the edges is thin. Use caution getting on the ice.
Hyrum Reservoir & State Park 2012-02-03 Slow	Volunteer Ty Anderson reports the ice is 12 inches thick with soft edges. Use caution. The fishing continues to be slow and the water conditions are murky.
Jensen Nature Park Pond 2012-01-24 Slow	The pond has some open water, but fishing is slow.
Kaysville Ponds 2012-01-24 Unstable ice	Warmer weather and rain could make any existing ice unstable.
Little Creek Reservoir 2012-01-24 Good	Sergeant Keith Fullenkamp reports anglers are continuing to have great success at the reservoir. The ice is at least eight inches thick. The edges are soft due to rain and warmer weather conditions. Anglers are catching quantities of planter rainbows that have fattened up considerably since being stocked this summer. Any kind of bait offered seems to work well.
Lost Creek Reservoir 2012-02-03 Fair	Aquatics Tech Phil Tuttle reports fishing as fair to good. Raw shrimp is reported as being a good, new bait at Lost Creek. Still, white jigs tipped with night crawlers, mealworms, wax worms, or PowerBait continues to produce good numbers. Make sure you are aware of the new regulation at Lost Creek: You are allowed to keep three trout under 15 inches and one trout over 22 inches. All trout from 15 to 22 inches must be immediately released.
Mantua Reservoir 2012-02-03 Good	Anglers report that fishing continues to be good.
Mirror Lake 2012-02-03 Hot	Whitney Reservoir is producing hot fishing for trout. Access is by snowmobile only. The trout ranged in size from none to 13 inches. KUTV's Hooked on Utah television program will highlight Uintas fishing on February four at 11:00 on channel 2.
Newton Reservoir 2012-01-24 Fair	Biologist Chris Penne reports the edges are soft and even questionable after all the rain and warm temperatures. Anglers would be well advised to bring a plank and exercise caution if they are looking to ice-fish Newton.
Ogden River 2012-02-03 Fair	Recent storms have made some access points difficult to get to. Good access can be found at the Ogden River Parkway, DWR Access Point at the Alaskan Inn and the Walk-In Access at the Oaks. River flows continue to be low and clear.
Pineview Reservoir 2012-02-03 Good	Fishing for crappie in the narrows continues to be good in the evening hours. The fish are about ten inches and are suspended in 40 to 60 feet of water, ten feet of the bottom.
Porcupine Reservoir 2012-02-03 Slow	Volunteer Dave Anderson reports road conditions to the reservoir are icy and access to the reservoir should be via four-wheel drive. The reservoir is frozen with soft edges. The ice is six to eight inches thick and very slick. An angler interviewed caught a small kokanee using ice flies and tub jigs. The angler also mentioned catching larger brown trout. Success has been very slow.
Rockport Reservoir 2012-02-03 Good	Joseph Hamby reports that fishing has been good. A variety of ice flies tipped with wax worms, night crawlers and PowerBait seem to be working best. The fish are suspended at the 15- to 25-foot level. If the success seems slow, move around and ask around. The fish are moving. The ice is nine to 12 inches thick but use caution around the edges. It has been thawing and freezing in the afternoons and evenings. There are now 40 tagged fish in the lake with prizes up to $2,500 cash. See the State Parks Web site for more details. Saturday and Sunday the Rafter B will be giving a large supreme pizza to the person who turns in the largest fish of the day.
Weber River 2012-02-03 Good	Biologist Paul Thompson reports that the flows from Echo Dam have dropped to about 3 cfs, so the river is pretty small downstream until Lost Creek adds some water. Flows between Echo and Rockport have been holding steady between 90 to 100 cfs. Both reaches have been fishing well with standard nymphs (hare's ears, pheasant tails, scuds and midges).
Willard Bay Reservoir 2012-02-03 Slow	Park Ranger Mert Russo reports slow fishing. The ice is still very unsafe. There is open water on the north side of the lake and the marina in some areas.

Central Region report

Information compiled by Scott Root
Central Region Conservation Outreach Manager

Attention: Quagga and zebra mussels are a major threat to Utah waterways. Read how you can help keep them out of Utah.

Waterbody	Report
Burraston Ponds 2012-02-03 Fair	Conservation Officer Jay Topham says that anglers report good fishing with worms.
Canyon View Park Pond 2012-02-03 Closed	The pond is closed for the winter.
Deer Creek Reservoir 2012-02-03 Unstable ice	The reservoir has a mix of unsafe ice and open water. Officer Orin Neal reports that there is a thin layer of ice around many of the shore-access areas. People who use worms and rainbow-colored PowerBait seem to be doing pretty well at the main boat launch and from the far shoreline near the dam. Call Deer Creek State Park at 435–654-0171 for current ice conditions.
Diamond Fork River 2012-02-03 Slow	Anglers report slow to fair fishing with flies, lures or worms. There's not much fishing pressure.
Grantsville Reservoir 2012-02-03 Unstable ice	Anglers report some open water on the north end but four to five inches of ice on other parts of the reservoir. Use caution if you're venturing onto the ice.
Highland Glen Park 2012-02-03 Slow	Fishing is slow for trout and there's not much fishing pressure. There's a two-fish limit at all Community Fishing waters.
Jordanelle Reservoir 2012-02-03 Slow	Conservation Officer Orin Neal reports that the ice at Rock Cliff is thick enough to attract a few ice anglers. On one day this past week, approximately six anglers were fishing open water from the shore at the secondary boat launch in the Hailstone area.
Kidney Pond 2012-02-03 Slow	Fishing is slow, and there aren't many anglers at the pond.
Midas Pond 2012-02-03 Slow	Fishing is slow, and there aren't many anglers at the pond.
Mill Hollow Reservoir 2012-02-03 Slow	Winter conditions restrict vehicle access and the gate is closed.
Nine Mile Reservoir 2012-02-03 Fair	Angler Tom Ogden reports fishing Nine Mile Reservoir in a tube this past week. He fished from 10:30 until 12:30 and caught one 14-inch rainbow. He also hooked three other fish. He was using medium-sink line (#3) with a size 6 bead head olive leech in 9–14 feet of water. The reservoir was about 80-percent covered with ice, and no one else was fishing.
Palisade Reservoir & State Park 2012-02-03 Good	Angler Tom Ogden reports fishing Palisades Reservoir from 1 to 3 p.m. He caught five rainbows and four tigers. The largest fish was a 13-inch rainbow, and most of the fish were in the 10- to 12-inch range. He also hooked a good tiger that was in the 17- to 18-inch range. He used fast-sinking line (#6) with a size 6 bead head black/red/blue soft-hackle fly, a size 8 bead head black/red woolly bugger and a size 6 bead head Canada blood leech in 12–18 feet of water. The action was much better than at Nine Mile. There were six guys fishing from shore and two anglers out in a boat. Everyone seemed to be catching some fish. One of the shore anglers said his buddy had caught a five-pound brown that morning. The reservoir is about half covered with ice and most of the open water is around the edges, so shore angling access is good.
Payson Lake 2012-02-03 Closed	Conservation Officer Shawn Bagley reports that the canyon's access gate is closed for the winter.
Provo River, Lower 2012-02-03 Fair	Anglers report fair fishing with size 20 or smaller nymphs/dry flies of various patterns. Experiment until you find the right pattern. Please read the Utah Fishing Guidebook for special regulations.
Provo River, Middle 2012-02-03 Fair	You'll find fair to good fishing with a blue-winged olive pattern, glo-bugs or a midge pattern (size 20 or smaller). Bait is allowed from above Charleston Bridge to the Legacy Bridge. Harvest of legal-sized fish is encouraged. Please read the Utah Fishing Guidebook for the special regulations on this river.
Salem Pond 2012-02-03 Fair	Conservation Officer Shawn Bagley reports fair fishing for trout. Most anglers are using PowerBait.
Settlement Canyon Reservoir 2012-02-03 Unstable ice	Anglers report that the ice is becoming unsafe, and that a couple of people have broken through. Please wait for thicker ice before venturing onto this reservoir.
Silver Lake 2012-02-03 Slow	There weren't any anglers seen on the ice.
Spanish Oaks Reservoir 2012-02-03 Closed	Conservation Officer Shawn Bagley reports that the reservoir is closed until spring for safety reasons.
Spring Lake 2012-02-03 Good	According to Conservation Officer Shawn Bagley, anglers report good fishing for trout in the open water. They are using traditional baits and lures. Worms are a good bet.
Strawberry Reservoir 2012-02-03 Good	Anglers report up to 12 inches of ice in several areas, with a few inches of slush and about eight inches of snow on top of that. There's still some open water in areas and watch out for pressure ridges. Slush can make vehicles have problems on the ice. Please be sure of ice safety before taking vehicles onto the ice. Anglers report fair to good fishing with bait-tipped white tube jigs and other jigs. Move around if fishing is slow. You'll need four-wheel drive on the Soldier Creek turnoff. Some areas have been plowed for parking. Vehicles cannot proceed beyond the Strawberry marina turnoff area (Strawberry Side). There are special regulations in effect at Strawberry: the limit is four trout or kokanee salmon in the aggregate. No more than two may be cutthroat trout under 15 inches, and no more than one may be a cutthroat trout over 22 inches. All cutthroat trout from 15 to 22 inches must be immediately released. Trout and salmon may not be filleted, and the heads or tails may not be removed in the field or in transit. Check the Utah Fishing Guidebook for more regulations. For help differentiating the Bear Lake cutthroat trout from the rainbow trout, visit wildlife.utah.gov/strawberry/pdf/strawberry_brochure.pdf.
Thistle Creek 2012-02-03 Fair	You'll find fair fishing for brown trout and not much fishing pressure. Worms or flies work well.
Tibble Fork Reservoir 2012-02-03 Unstable ice	Anglers have reported more than five inches of ice on parts of this reservoir, but there are soft spots and open water on other parts. Use extreme caution! Ice anglers have actually reported fair to good fishing through the ice in 10- to 15-foot depths with bait-tipped jigs.
Utah Lake 2012-02-03 Unstable ice	Conservation Officer Shawn Bagley reports that there's a lot of open water and not many anglers. There's still a little ice in the various marinas, but use caution as ice conditions fluctuate.
Vernon Reservoir 2012-02-03 Fair	Anglers have been out on the ice. You'll find fair fishing for trout with bait-tipped jigs or traditional baits.
Vivian Park Pond 2012-02-03 Unstable ice	The ice is unsafe. Please use caution.
Willow Pond 2012-02-03 Good	The pond was recently stocked, but there haven't been any fishing reports.
Yuba Reservoir & State Park 2012-02-03 Slow	Officer Jay Topham reports very few anglers. There haven't been any recent reports on ice conditions. Call the state park at 435–758-2611 for ice conditions.

Northeastern Region report

Information compiled by Ron Stewart
Northeastern Region Conservation Outreach Manager

Warnings: Several lakes in northeastern Utah may contain quagga and/or zebra mussels. Learn more about these destructive mussels and how to decontaminate your boat.

Whirling disease was found in the northeastern region of the state. Please make sure you clean, dry and sterilize waders, livewells and other fishing gear before venturing to another water.

Cleaning fish: Biologists now believe the disposal of fish parts, especially the head and skeleton, is one of the primary reasons whirling disease has spread to new waters. To avoid moving whirling disease and other undesired organisms, you should clean fish at home and send the parts to a landfill. If that isn't possible, please clean the fish and bury the parts at least 100 yards away from the water's edge. Do not move fish or fish parts from one water to another.

Waterbody	Report
Big Sandwash Reservoir 2012-02-03 Fair	There are no new reports on fishing conditions at the reservoir. The lake looks frozen but ice condition unknown. Check the ice carefully before venturing out. The reservoir is accessible from the boat ramp and from a new public access point on the northeast corner.
Brough Reservoir 2012-02-03 Fair	There are no new reports on fishing conditions. The lake looks frozen but ice conditions unknown. Check the ice carefully before venturing out. The reservoir has special catch-and-release regulations. You must use flies and lures only—bait is not allowed. See the Utah Fishing Guidebook for details.
Browne Lake 2012-02-03 Good	Anglers report fair to good fishing at the lake. The Ashley National Forest closed the roads at the lower gates and the region received snow during the last few storms. Access is now by skis and snowmobiles.
Bullock Reservoir 2012-02-03 Fair	The reservoir appears frozen, but the ice conditions are unknown. Check the ice carefully before venturing out.
Calder Reservoir 2012-02-03 Good	Fishing has been good considering the no-bait regulation, which has made the catch rate a bit slower than other reservoirs. Try using jigs and lures that glow as the thickness of the ice and snow has made the depths quite dark. The reservoir has special catch-and-release regulations. You must use flies and lures only—bait is not allowed. See the Utah Fishing Guidebook for details.
Cottonwood Reservoir 2012-02-03 Fair	The reservoir has ice, but there are no reports on fishing conditions. Check the ice carefully before venturing out.
Crouse Reservoir 2012-02-03 Fair	There are signs of anglers fishing the reservoir, but no contacts so the catch rates are unknown. As of last weekend, the roads were open and mostly clear or packed snow.
Currant Creek Reservoir 2012-02-03 Good	The last few reports stated good fishing with easily accessible roads; however, that was before the last snowstorm. Fishing was hot and they caught rainbows, cutthroat and tiger trout. Anglers are fishing near the dam in over 50 feet of water but said most of the fish were within the 15 to 25 foot range. Glow and brightly colored jigging spoons and jigs tipped with a mealworm were the most successful gear. Anglers reported solid ice conditions where they were fishing. The southern road was open with easy drive-in access. There are no reports on the road conditions since the last set of snowstorms.
East Park Reservoir 2012-02-03 Fair	Ice covers the reservoir. Check the ice carefully before venturing out.
Flaming Gorge 2012-02-03 Good	There is fishable ice in the northern arms but no safe ice in Utah. There is good open-water fishing for the trout species from both shore and boats. Lake trout: Lake trout fishing has been good to excellent with anglers finding fish almost everywhere. Ice anglers fishing the northern arms are doing well for the pups. In Utah, anglers fishing the shore for rainbows in 15 to 20 feet of water have also caught lake trout. Schools of pups have been reported from close to the surface to 100 feet. If you can find a school, the hits will be fast but light. A good line (fluorocarbon or braid) helps you feel the strike and get a good hook-set when jigging. You can help the Flaming Gorge fishery by harvesting a limit of smaller lake trout. The limit is eight fish, with one over 28 inches. Kokanee salmon: Not hearing much about kokanee. Water temperatures have cooled down so fish could be anywhere. Although the DWR has stocked millions of kokanee over the last few years, the population remains low due to predation by lake trout and burbot. Anglers need to harvest small lake trout and burbot to reduce their impact on kokanee. Rainbow trout: Anglers report good to excellent fishing from the shoreline and from boats (casting and trolling). A boat is essential to access most of the reservoir; however, there is shore fishing near the visitor center (by the dam) and by the boat ramps. Fish can be anywhere including close to shore. Look for schools near cliffs, points and submerged ridges in about 10 to 60 feet of water. Smallmouth bass: Bass fishing has been slow. It's mostly over until next summer; however, an angler caught one a month ago at 70 feet while jigging for lake trout. Burbot: The 2012 Burbot Bash had 233 anglers who caught 1057 burbot in three nights, or roughly 1700 pounds of fish. Fishing was mostly confined to the two northern arms, as there is a lack of ice in the main channel. The winds also kept anglers from trying to fish from boats during the Bash, though several reported success on earlier attempts. Three tags were returned, all from this year's tagging efforts. Two of the tagged fish moved quite a ways up the Black's Fork Arm which may be a sign that some burbot are moving toward the inflows to spawn, so anglers may potentially increase their catch rates if they target those areas. Note: be careful on the ice this year as most of the lake did not freeze. Between the winds and irregular freezing patterns, ice conditions can change rapidly from one spot to the next. Ice thickness ranges from thin ice to roughly two feet. There are also numerous pressure ridges and some of these have reopened near anglers even though the surrounding ice was six or more inches thick. Anglers are catching burbot through the ice in the northern arms and from shore and boats below the confluence and into Utah. Some fish are over eight pounds. Fishing started slow this year but has continued to improve over the last few weeks. Try fishing for a few hours, starting around sunset, along the rocky points and cliffs near the main channel. Burbot will hit during the day, generally in the deeper waters, and become more active during the twilight hours when they move into the shallows to forage. Fish the bottom or just slightly above it in depths from 10 to 50 feet. Use just about anything that glows (spoons, tube jigs, curly-tailed jigs, minnow jigs) and tip it with some type of bait (cut bait like sucker meat recommended). Place your lure close to the bottom and recharge the glow frequently. It is common to catch a fish immediately after re-glowing and dropping a lure. You can use up to six lines through the ice. So far, there doesn't seem to be much of pattern as to jigging technique, some nights dead sticking works best and other nights active jigging brings in the most fish. You'll help the Flaming Gorge fishery by harvesting as many burbot as possible. There is no limit on burbot.
Green River below Flaming Gorge dam 2012-02-03 Good	Anglers have shifted over to their winter presentations and many are using a double rig with a large fish imitation with a scud, shrimp or imitation salmon egg trailer. Often the fish are attracted to the larger presentation and then hit the smaller. Watch for hatches as they can occur on the warmer days. On windy days, anglers who use lures have been more successful because it's easier to cast. Try Rapalas (floating, countdown and husky jerk), spinners, spoons, black, brown or olive marabou jigs, and plastic jigs.
Long Park Reservoir 2012-02-03 Fair	Ice covers the reservoir. Check the ice carefully before venturing out. The roads are closed at the gates and the area has received snow during the last few storms so access is now by skis and snowmobile.
Matt Warner 2012-02-03 Good	Fishing has been good to excellent using glowing or brightly colors jigs and spoons. Tip the lure with bait such as a mealworm or night crawler. As of last Sunday, the road was accessible by branching off the Jones Hole Road at the coral. This road has been kept open by anglers breaking through the drifts. Due to the last storm, high clearance vehicles are a must.
Moose Pond 2012-02-03 Fair	Ice covers the pond and ice anglers report having done well, though now the fishing has slowed. Try a small jig or ice fly tipped with a meal or wax worm.
Pelican Lake 2012-02-03 Good	The fishing shut down seems to have broken. Not many anglers have been fishing because of the shut down the first few weeks of January, but the newest reports have been good. Most anglers have fished the north and east sides and report fair to good fishing for bass and bluegill.
Red Fleet Reservoir 2012-02-03 Good	Anglers report good fishing for rainbows near the dam and the boat ramp. We've even heard from a couple of anglers who targeted and caught walleye as well as a couple that found bluegill near the dam. From the boat ramp parking lot it looks like the reservoir is completely frozen, however it froze in irregular patterns so there could easily be unsafe ice in some areas. There is also a ring around the bank where there is new ice as the reservoir is being filled and the thicker ice is being pulled away from the shore. Last week's snow may also be covering thinner ice so proceed with caution and check the ice carefully before venturing out.
Sheep Creek Lake 2012-02-03 Fair	There are no recent repots. Ice covers the lake, but the conditions aren't absolute so proceed with caution and check the ice carefully before venturing out. The gates are closed and roads snow-covered and a bit icy, so access is now by skis and snowmobiles.
Spirit Lake 2012-02-03 Fair	The ice is fishable and conditions should be fair to good. The roads are closed so access is now by skis and snow machines. Check the ice carefully before venturing out.
Starvation Reservoir 2012-02-03 Good	Anglers report slow to excellent fishing for rainbows and fair fishing for yellow perch and browns; however, there are numerous areas with open water and they are growing in size and abundance. Anglers fishing Rabbit Gulch this weekend reported good fishing but the open water area was getting larger. There are new areas of open water in the middle, in Indian Bay and in front of the main boat ramp and campground. In many other areas, including north east of the bridge, the ice is turning blue-grey, which is a sign that it's deteriorating. The safest ice is likely southwest of the bridge and near the dam; however, the reservoir is getting filled and the older, thicker ice is being pulled away from the shoreline. The ice conditions in most areas aren't absolute, so proceed with caution and check it carefully before venturing out.
Steinaker Reservoir 2012-02-03 Good	Angler reports are mixed. Some report good fishing while others thought it was slow. We are seeing more browns on the ice this year. The two areas of open water near the north end are starting to join together so the open water looks like a big figure 8. Anglers have been out on the ice near the boat ramp and close to the dam and have reported eight or more inches. Ice conditions vary and it is likely the unsafe areas are expanding, so proceed with caution. The reservoir is being filled so there is an edge of thinner new ice which formed as the older thicker ice was lifted up and pulled away from the shoreline.

Southeastern Region report

Information compiled by Brent Stettler
DWR Southeast Region Outreach Manager

Attention: Quagga and zebra mussels are a major threat to Utah waterways. Read how you can help keep them out of Utah.

Waterbody	Report
Abajo Mountains 2012-02-03 Slow	A week ago, Conservation Officer Dennis Shumway reported slow fishing on the San Juan arm. Thin, dangerous ice covers Recapture Reservoir, Blanding #3, Blanding #4 and Lloyds Lake.
Electric Lake 2012-02-03 Good	Angler Larry Duzenack reports good fishing for 14- to 18-inch trout.
Ferron Reservoir 2012-02-03 Closed	Fish were removed from the reservoir last fall and won't be restocked until June.
Gigliotti Pond 2012-02-03 Good	Casey Olsen and Mike Bolinski report good fishing with a variety of chartreuse jigs tipped with nightcrawlers. Matt Serfustini had good fishing success with small leadhead jigs tipped with a mealworm.
Huntington North Reservoir 2012-02-03 Fair	A week ago, State Park Manager Dan Richards reported fair fishing toward the middle of the lake with crawdad-imitating jigs tipped with chub meat.
Huntington Reservoir 2012-02-03 Slow	Last weekend, Larry Duzenack reported slow fishing.
Joes Valley Reservoir 2012-02-03 Slow	Anglers who participated in the Jan. 28–29 fishing derby reported slow fishing. The first-prize fish was an 18-inch splake. Try using jigs and chub meat, minnows, nightcrawlers or mealworms.
Millsite Reservoir & State Park 2012-02-03 Fair	Last week, Bill Farrer caught a 4.25-pound rainbow trout. Bill used a marabou jig tipped with chub meat.
Scofield Reservoir 2012-02-03 Slow	During the weekend of Jan. 28–29, Conservation Officer Devin Christensen reported slow fishing. He recommends yellow or chartreuse jigs tipped with a piece of nightcrawler, mealworm, waxworm, chub meat or dead minnow. The weeks before Jan. 28, anglers commonly reported good fishing.

Southern Region report

Information compiled by Mike Hadley
DWR Southern Region Aquatics Biologist

Attention: Quagga and zebra mussels are a major threat to Utah waterways. Read how you can help keep them out of Utah.

Waterbody	Report
Baker Reservoir 2012-02-02 Slow	There is no ice on the reservoir and fishing success is slow. The winter can be a good time to target brown trout with minnow-imitating lures and flies.
Barker Reservoirs (North Creek Lakes) 2012-02-02 Slow	Most lakes on Boulder Mountain are closed to fishing until April 21. Barker and Lower Barker reservoirs are open year round. Expect slow fishing success.
Beaver Mountain Lakes 2012-02-02 Slow	Conservation officer Brent Farnsworth reports that access to the Beaver Mountain lakes is limited. Kent's Lake has been accessible by four-wheel drive vehicles, but the road is now snow-packed. SR-153 has been plowed to Puffer Lake. Anderson Meadow and Labaron are accessible by snowmobile only. All of the lakes are frozen and we have reports of active ice anglers. Kent's Lake and Puffer Lake are receiving the most pressure. There are no reports of fishing success, but you should expect slow fishing.
Beaver River, Lower 2012-02-02 Slow	Conservation officer Brent Farnsworth reports that the river has been receiving almost-daily fishing pressure below Minersville Reservoir. These warm winter days have encouraged anglers to try winter stream fishing. There is a small amount of water being released from Minersville Reservoir, so the water flows in the river are a little higher than normal for this time of year. The higher water flows help fishing by giving the fish a little more cover, so they aren't quite as wary.
Beaver River, Upper 2012-02-02 Slow	Conservation officer Brent Farnsworth reports that water flows are low and clear. There is a lot of anchor ice, especially in the upper stretches of the river. The lower stretches, near the mouth of Beaver Canyon, have some fishable stretches. Fish are wary, though, so use stealth when approaching the stream.
Boulder Mountain 2012-02-02 Fair	Most lakes on Boulder Mountain are closed to fishing until April 21. (Check the Utah Fishing Guidebook to see which lakes are open year round.) All of the lakes have safe ice, but access is limited by snow. Anglers report fair to good fishing success at the lakes that are open.
Clear Creek 2012-02-02 Slow	Summer storms caused major flooding in Clear Creek and its tributaries this year. Trout appear to be absent from most of the drainage, so fishing success is slow.
Corn Creek 2012-02-02 Slow	Fishing success is slow and difficult because of the ice and snow.
Duck Creek Pond / Aspen Mirror Lake 2012-02-02 Closed	Duck Creek Pond, Duck Creek and Aspen Mirror Lake are closed to fishing until April 21.
East Fork Sevier River in Kingston Canyon 2012-02-02 Slow	Mild weather is keeping the river ice-free, but this could change at any time. Focus your fishing efforts on reaches of the river that have a little gradient and some riffle-pool sequences, which are where the river alternates between shallower and deeper water. Slow-moving areas have less oxygen in the winter and fewer fish. The Circle Valley Anglers fly shop recommends egg patterns, small midges and large streamers.
East Fork Sevier River, Black Canyon 2012-02-02 Fair	Spring water inflow keeps Black Canyon mostly ice-free in the winter. The river has been a little murky, so the Circle Valley Anglers fly shop recommends larger streamer patterns. The key to success is to quickly get your fly deep in the current.
East Fork Sevier River, Upper 2012-02-02 Slow	Fishing success is slow and there is little fishing pressure because of poor access.
Enterprise Reservoir, Upper 2012-02-02 Fair	There is very little snow in the area and access is excellent. The north end of the reservoir has six to seven inches of ice, but there is some open water on the southwest end. This winter's mild temperatures have caused soft edges and some standing water on top of the ice. Please use caution on the ice. There is also some open water on the lower reservoir. One angler reports good success using flies in the open water of both reservoirs.
Fish Lake 2012-02-02 Good	The south end of the lake has eight to 14 inches of safe ice. The ice on the north end has struggled and there is currently less than two inches. Last weekend, a snowmobile went through the ice on the north end. The rider had to be rescued and taken to the hospital. DO NOT fish on the lake north of Fish Lake Lodge until the ice gets thicker. For up-to-date road and ice conditions, call the lodge at 435–638-1000. The ice on the south end is safe to ATVs and snowmobiles. There is a lot of concentrated fishing pressure on the south end since that is the only half of the lake that is fishable. Anglers report that fishing success varies from fair to fast, depending on the area you fish. Fishing action is fast for perch and good for smaller trout near the weeds in 10 to 15 feet of water. Try using jigs and ice flies tipped with mealworms, nightcrawlers or perch meat. Anglers report catching more rainbow trout than splake this year. Trout fishing is usually best before noon, but it can stay fair all day. Try moving out to 20 to 40 feet of water to target larger splake and rainbows. You can also find these fish suspended at the same depth over deeper water. You can find small lake trout, and an occasional larger fish, in depths of anywhere from 50 to 100 feet. For lake trout, use larger jigs tipped with pieces of perch, chub or sucker meat and add a healthy dose of patience. A fish finder can be invaluable tool for finding lake trout.
Forsyth Reservoir 2012-02-02 Slow	There is little snow, so access is good. The ice is solid and safe. Anglers report slow fishing success with an occasional good day. If you're targeting tiger trout and splake through the ice, try tipping jigs with pieces of minnows, or sucker or chub meat.
Fremont River 2012-02-02 Fair	There is little snow, so access is good above Mill Meadow. One angler reported fair fishing for small brown trout using bead head nymphs. Water flows are low, so fish are easily spooked.
Gunlock Reservoir 2012-02-02 Slow	Fishing success should be slow. The boat ramp is closed until March. Visit www.stateparks.utah.gov for the most current boat ramp schedule.
Gunnison Bend Reservoir 2012-02-02 Slow	Gunnison Bend has little ice, and DMAD is mostly covered but has a lot of soft spots. There is little fishing pressure at either reservoir.
Iron County Community Fisheries 2012-02-02 Slow	Leigh Hill Reservoir has closed for the winter.
Johnson Reservoir 2012-02-02 Slow	Access is poor so there is little winter fishing opportunity.
Kolob Reservoir 2012-02-02 Slow	There is generally very little ice fishing pressure because of the poor access. Kolob is closed to bait fishing until May 19. Kolob Reservoir has more special regulations. Read the Utah Fishing Guidebook for details.
Koosharem Reservoir 2012-02-02 Slow	The ice is ten to twelve inches thick. Fishing pressure is light. To target cutthroat trout, try tipping jigs with pieces of minnows, or sucker or chub meat.
Lower Bowns Reservoir 2012-02-02 Slow	There is not much winter fishing pressure because of the poor access.
Mammoth Creek 2012-02-02 Fair	The Circle Valley Anglers fly shop reports fair success with disco midges, prince nymphs and large leech patterns.
Mill Meadow Reservoir 2012-02-02 Good	The reservoir was not drained this year. There is little snow, so access is good. The ice is safe, but the edges can get soft because of the rising water level. Fishing success is good to excellent for both trout and perch. Most anglers have found best success on the west shore in 15 to 20 feet of water.
Minersville Reservoir 2012-02-02 Slow	Conservation officer Brent Farnsworth reports that the reservoir is less than a foot below full pool. Although there is ice on most of the lake, three stretches of open water have appeared during the past two weeks. The main ice pack is still four to five inches thick, but the ice is becoming soft and is thinning daily. The lake is rising, so the ice around the edges is thin and weak. There are only a few places that you can access the thicker ice without taking the risk of breaking through and falling into the water. Ice fishing is NOT recommended right now. Fishing success has been slow for the few anglers who have ventured onto the ice. If you decide to ice fish, use extreme caution!
Monroe Mountain Lakes 2012-02-02 Slow	There is not much winter fishing pressure because of the poor access.
Navajo Lake 2012-02-02 Fair	Highway 14 in Cedar Canyon has been closed because of a landslide. The highway will be plowed from US-89 to the Navajo Lake turnoff, but you can only access the area beyond there by hiking or using a snowmobile. There is little fishing pressure in the winter because of the poor access, but fishing for splake should be good if you can get there.
Newcastle Reservoir 2012-02-02 Slow	More than half of the reservoir has open water. One angler reports fair success for rainbow trout in the open water using a wooly bugger. Bait fishing is slower.
Otter Creek Reservoir & State Park 2012-02-02 Slow	There is no snow in the area, so access is good. The ice is about a foot thick, but several spots of open water have appeared on the points along the west shore. Please use caution in these areas: Even if they freeze over again, the ice will be thin. Watch for soft edges around any shoreline in the afternoon. Anglers report slow to fair fishing, but they are catching quality-sized fish that are in good condition. Fishing success varies depending on the time of day, the water depth and the technique. The key to finding success is to keep changing location, depth, technique or time of day until you find something that works. Since the reservoir has been full all year, fish are not as hungry as they normally would be in the winter and they may be less concentrated as well. Don't hesitate to try a location or depth you normally would not have in the past. Some of the best fishing success has been on the north end and along the east shore. Fishing tends to be better in the morning.
Panguitch Lake 2012-02-02 Slow	The ice is over ten inches thick, but there was some soft ice and some open water near the north boat ramp just over a week ago. There have been no more reports of bad ice, but use caution in this area. Fishing success is generally slow. The lower water level means that fish are likely more stressed than normal and will be less likely to bite. Some anglers have found limited success along the north shore. Fishing on the south end has been very slow. Keep changing your location, depth, technique and bait until you find something that works. Remember that all cutthroat and tigers between 15 and 22 inches must be released.
Paragonah Reservoir 2012-02-02 Good	Anglers report good to excellent fishing success. Access may be getting more difficult with the recent snow storms.
Pine Lake 2012-02-02 Slow	The lake should have safe ice, but access is difficult.
Piute Reservoir 2012-02-02 Slow	Ice is covering most of the lake, but the ice is not safe.
Quail Lake 2012-02-02 Fair	Rainbow trout have been stocked and should provide fair to good fishing. Visit www.stateparks.utah.gov for the current boat ramp schedule.
Sand Hollow Reservoir 2012-02-02 Slow	Bass activity slows down during winter, so you need to adjust your fishing techniques. The primary key to cold water bass fishing is slowing down the presentation, or even to use the dead-stick technique. Try using plastics (like senkos), swimbaits, hula grubs and drop-shots with the right presentation. A drop-shot rig is one of the more popular cold weather techniques because of its natural slow presentation. Concentrate on deeper water at 20 to 30 feet. Crankbaits and spinnerbaits can also be effective during the warmest part of the day. Quagga mussels are present in Sand Hollow, so plan extra time to have your boat washed before leaving.
Sevier River in Marysvale Canyon 2012-02-02 Slow	Releases from Piute Reservoir have dropped from nearly 300 cubic feet per second to 50 cubic feet per second, so the river may be a little more fishable.
Thousand Lake Mountain 2012-02-02 Fair	The Elkhorn Road from Forsyth Reservoir is impassable because of snow. Solomon Basin is accessible from I-70 in Emery County. The snow makes accessing most of the other lakes difficult. One angler reports fair to good success at Meeks Lake and Morell Pond.
Tropic Reservoir 2012-02-02 Slow	There is very little winter fishing pressure because of the poor access.
Washington County Community Fisheries 2012-02-02 Fair	All of the ponds have been stocked regularly since November. Check out the new pond at the Sullivan Virgin River Park on 300 East in Washington.
Wide Hollow Reservoir 2012-02-02 Fair	The reservoir has about eight inches of ice with some soft edges. Fishing has been fair for rainbow trout with standard ice fishing tackle and bait.
Yankee Meadow Reservoir 2012-02-02 Fair	Access is difficult, but fishing should be fair to good if you can get there.

Lake Powell report

Information compiled by Wayne Gustaveson, www.wayneswords.com

Attention: Quagga and zebra mussels are a major threat to Utah waterways. Read how you can help keep them out of Utah.

Waterbody

Report

Lake Powell
2011-10-26
Good

Lake elevation: 3,650 feet

Water temperatures: 65–69°F

Fall fishing is in full swing. The whole lake, from Wahweap to Hite, is now producing an amazing array of fish. The key ingredients to the change in fishing fortune are cooling temperatures and dark skies at night. The key players are largemouth and smallmouth bass, but we're also seeing stripers, walleye and crappie. The better news is that this surge in fishing success will now continue through the month of November.

Dylan, a young angler from Utah, had a great day of fishing in Wahweap Bay. He caught a large striper and many smallmouth bass similar to the one he's holding in the picture. Fall fishing has now taken off. Anglers are catching bass and the occasional striper. It looks like we'll have great fishing this winter.

Photo courtesy of Wayne Gustaveson

Bass are the main players right now. Each spring, the best bass fishing activity occurs at water temperatures near 65 degrees. The same thing happens again in the fall. It looks like the water temperature will be in that range for the next two weeks. You can find bass in and along the brush line in the main lake and in the coves and canyons. While it may be challenging to fish the brush, there are many ways to catch fish instead of limbs.

The best method this past week was to use a dropshot rig with a Yamamoto shad-shaped worm. The worm was hooked about 8–10 inches above the weight. Use a wide gap 3/0 hook and rig it so the hook is mostly in the plastic. There should be only a slight hook point on the outside of the bait (Tex-posed). Try to fish almost vertically by lowering the rig below the boat, placing it between any bushes you can see just under the surface. Fish in 15–25 feet of water. Let the bait tremble in one location for a while and wait for hungry bass to move beyond inspection to tasting. To set the hook with a dropshot rig, you'll want to use a long sweep instead of a quick jerk. (Or you can just start reeling when it feels like you've hooked a fish.) The wait for a bite shouldn't take too long. There are many bass up to two pounds that are waiting to get fed.

Always keep a top-water bait and a rattletrap close at hand. Throw these baits near any surface disturbance to entice bass or stripers that may be feeding on shad near the surface. You'll see these little blowups often, and you can catch many fish on top throughout the day. Striped bass are still fussy, but trolling and casting rattletraps and top-water baits to the brush line has been more effective since the cold front blew in. Stripers are strong, healthy and fearless. They will provide shocking hook sets as they grab your bait and head out for the nearest tree. It's a good idea to use heavier line in the brush when you're fishing for these super-strong stripers.

Crappie are now biting in the very thickest brush thickets. Your ability to catch them will improve as the water temperature drops to near 60 degrees. Use tiny hair and plastic jigs and fish them vertically in the thick brush to prevent snagging as long as possible. Bring along a good supply of crappie jigs because terminal tackle will invariably be lost.

You may occasionally catch walleye, bluegill and catfish while fishing for other species. It is probably best to fish for bass and stripers and be grateful for a bonus walleye if one happens to drop by. It feels great to be able to report good fishing again. That makes it easier for me to conclude my regular reports as we begin our fall sampling. There will be sporadic reports posted on wayneswords.com throughout the coming months, but regular fishing reports will not happen again until next March. Enjoy the great fall and winter fishing. I will see you again in the spring.

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