Utah Bass Fishing Reports

COMMENTS

Utah Bass Fishing Reports Revised 07-30-10 Hypertext gives a description of the lake and facilities available. Check proclamtion for details on restrictions as some may not be listed here. Bear River Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Bullhead Catfish, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Cutthroat Trout, Green Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Walleye, Whitefish, Yellow Perch No recent reports. Brough Reservoir Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass (Jul 14) Fishing has been fair from along the shoreline and from float tubes and small boats. Try fishing mornings and later in the afternoon; several anglers have reported catch rates drop off in mid-day. Regulations Bullock Reservoir Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Tiger Musky (hybred) (Jul 14) We've had a couple reports on bass and tiger muskie fishing, which indicate its fair to good. Regulations Clinton City Park Pond Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout No recent reports. Regulations Cottonwood Reservoir Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass (Jul 14) Anglers have reported good fishing for bullhead catfish and they are catching a few tiger muskie but not in keepers and a few smallmouth bass also reported. Bullheads from Cottonwood and Bullock are both large and plentiful making them an ideal fish to catch and to keep for a pan sized fillet. Regulations Cutler Reservoir Bass, Catfish, Crappie, Sunfish (Jul 29) Anglers report good fishing for smaller catfish. (Jul 22) Fishing continues to be good for mudcats and channel cats. (Jul 9) Anglers report good fishing for bullheads near the Cache Junction bridge. Fishing for small channel catfish has also been good, and anglers occasionally report catching catfish over 20 inches. Regulations Deer Creek Reservoir Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Yellow Perch (Jul 29) Most anglers are having at least fair success from shoreline and boat anglers are doing a bit better. Trolling has been very effective. Power bait or worms from shoreline are working fairly well. (Jul 17) Johnny Willeto of Orem fished the Heber Creeper side in a group of 3 and caught 14 rainbows using Pautzke's Fire Bait Orange creme. Fished in 30 ft. of water with a split shot and 3 ft. of leader. "good fishing at noon." (Jul 5) Johnny Willeto of Orem fished with a partner and caught 15 rainbows using salmon eggs. "Let all of em go except for two for lunch. 3 hours worth. My buddy won't doubt me again." (Jul 5) Dan of Orem fished Rainbow Bay in a group of 5 and caught 7 rainbows using pop gear and worms at 25 ft. "down riggers never fail" (Jul 3) Johnny Willeto of Orem fished Charleston and caught 4 rainbows using salmon eggs. "I left my home in Orem at 5:22 am and I walked in the door at home at 7:08 am. It was so awesome. I am going tomorrow and the next day." (Jul 2) Officer Brandon Olson reports that trout fishing is very good with PowerBait, and long leaders seem to be the key. Bass fishing is good with tube jigs and Mr. Twisters. Officer Paul Davis reports that most anglers are doing very well from boats and from the shoreline. Some anglers have tried to keep more than their limits of fish. The water level is still high. Walleye fishing is slow to fair right now, but a few anglers have reported catching them. Regulations East Canyon Reservoir Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Tiger Trout (hybrid) (Jul 29) Anglers report good fishing with a lot of fishing pressure. Try PowerBait from the shore. Worms, spinners and salmon eggs are not working very well right now. (Jul 22) Anglers report good fishing for rainbows in 30 to 40 feet of water. (Jul 17) Morgan of Layton fished the 16th and 17th in a group of 3 on the east side during early morning till about 11:00am both days. They trolled very very slow using pop gear with leaded line a worm and also used PowerBait along with the worm and caught 10 rainbows. "seemed like all colors of powerbait worked. We had our limit in 2hrs." (Jul 17) Tyson Briggs of South Jordan fished the west side by the rock cliff with a partner and caught 15 rainbows, a smallmouth and a crappie trolling popgear and worm in 15 to 30 ft. of water. "the fishing was better in the morning for trout" (Jul 12) Cory Smith reports: "We caught 18 fish within 4 hours using pop gear and worm, we would have more but some got off the hook to soon. Best time was between 0800 and noon." (Jul 9) Dedicated Hunter Bob McLean reports that fishing from the shoreline can be fairly fast with PowerBait in the middle of the day. The are some good-sized rainbows in the reservoir. Trolling slowly with bait is also an effective method. Echo Reservoir Bass, Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Rainbow Trout (Jul 29) Dedicated Hunter Chris Strauss reports fair fishing. One angler caught a 22-inch fish, perch, small bass and rainbows with a silver spinner and pheasant tail fly in clear water. (Jul 22) Conservation Officer Rustin Nielsen reports fishing has been fair for trout. Shore fishermen have had success fishing with worm, marshmallow or power bait off the bottom. Fishing has been best early morning or late evening. Boat fishermen have had success trolling for trout near the bottom. Bass fishing has been fair along the east side of the reservoir from boat. Fishermen have been catching bass on a variety of tackle from rapalas to plastic worms. (Jul 9) Dedicated Hunter Kevin Jackson reports that there weren't many anglers on the water. The ones he interviewed had success with PowerBait and woolly buggers. They used PowerBait on the bottom, and woolly buggers on the surface. The anglers primarily caught 15-inch rainbows. Fishing is better before noon, especially along the rocky parts of the shoreline. (Jul 3) Anel Mukic of Salt Lake fished in a group of 6 and caught 21 rainbows, 2 smallmouth, 3 carp and a perch. "WOW!!! We were camping from saturday to monday and it was amazingly excellent fishing. Saturday afternoon after we unpacked our camping gear we set up the poles with worms and went swimming. We waited 20 minutes then one of my buddy's poles went screaming and this carp came all the way to shore and the hook fell out it was huge. Then later my buddy caught a 6 pound carp and at the same time my brothers pole went and i pulled out a rainbow trout. Then we all setup on powerbait and the fishing took off. We caught 3 more and then later at 2 AM i caught a carp. In the morning we caught 1 but then we went on the boat but caught nothing. When we came back we just relaxed and swam. Later we caught 5 fish. We didnt stay up for carp and in the morning we caught 12 on monday it was crazy we had double headers and it was just so fun! We caught the rainbows on pretty much any color powerbait mostly green or corn flavored powerbait. But on monday we caught 11 on yellow power eggs and 1 on corn powerbait. The fish pretty much hooked themselves they went on a frenzy we did let 2 of them go just because we had already cleaned 12 of them. I caught the bass on o tube jig but let it go it was decent size. and my dad reeled in another carp, and my buddy caught a little perch. The fishing was crazy good. It was freaking amazingly great. The only thing more we could ask for is more bait. We used a lot of bait but it was worth it. We didnt catch 1 little fish. The rainbow were all at least 14 inches minimum and the carp were all over 6 pounds" (Jul 3) Lane Hirning of Salt Lake City fished the east shore with a partner and caught 5 rainbows using PowerBait on a sliding sinker. "Fishing was great until about 9:30am and then turned off like someone flipped a switch" Regulations Enterprise Reservoirs Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass FISH CONSUMPTION ADVISORY No recent reports. Farmington Pond Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout (Jul 29) Anglers report slow fishing for rainbow trout from the shore. Try worms or PowerBait in the early morning or evening. Fishing for other species is also slow. (Jul 22) Very few anglers all day. Due to high temperatures fishing was very poor. (Jul 2) Ryan of Layton reports: "We have been three times as a group. We have fished at different times using a variety of lures and baits. We could not get anything. We asked groups as they were leaving if they had any luck and no one had any. We tried to talk with a DWR warden, but he blew us off and was a jerk. He caught all of us of guard. If you want to do some fishing dont waste your time here." Regulations Flaming Gorge Reservoir Brown Trout, Burbot, Channel Catfish, Crayfish, Kokanee Salmon, Mackinaw (Lake Trout), Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass (Jul 14) Lake trout fishing has been good to excellent and the fish are active at any level in the lake from just below the surface to 90 feet down. A good line (flourocarbon or braid) helps to feel the strike and get a good hook-set when jigging. You can help the Flaming Gorge fishery by harvesting a limit of the smaller lake trout. The limit is eight fish with one over 28 inches. Kokanee salmon: Kokanee fishing is good to excellent when anglers can locate a school. Schools however seem to be smaller and harder to find. This agrees with other indicators and studies that lake trout and other predators are seriously reducing the number of kokanee in the reservoir, even though the DWR and WYGF have stocked millions of kokanee over the last few years. Anglers need to harvest small lake trout and burbot to reduce their consumption of kokanee. Rainbow trout: Anglers are reporting good to excellent fishing from shore and boats. A boat is essential to access most of the reservoir; however there is acess to good shore fishing near the Dam Visitors Center (by the dam) and by the boat ramps. Fish are still using shallower waters and cruising the shoreline during the cooler parts of the day. Look for schools near cliffs, points and submerged ridges. Smallmouth bass fishing is good to excellent. The fish have moved into the shallow waters. The storms have put them a few weeks behind their normal schedule. Burbot fishing was good through the ice but now it is time to shift and learn to catch them from shore or boats. Try targeting rocky points and cliffs near the main channel, with depths from 10–50 feet Use just about anything that glows (spoons, tube jigs, curly-tailed jigs, minnow jigs) and tip with some type of bait. Anglers should place their baits close to the bottom and recharge the glow frequently. It is common to catch a fish immediately after re-glowing and dropping a lure. Burbot hit during the day, but they become more active during the twilight hours. You will help the Flaming Gorge fishery by harvesting as many burbot as possible. There is no limit on burbot. Regulations Gigliotti Pond Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout (Jul 30) This pond was stocked prior to the July 24 holiday weekend. Good fishing is expected. The limit is two fish. (Jul 22) This pond near Helper is stocked every four weeks and will be stocked prior to the July 24 holiday weekend. The limit is two fish. Regulations Glassman's Pond Bluegill, Black Crappie, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout No recent reports. Regulations Gunlock Reservoir Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Green Sunfish, Largemouth Bass FISH CONSUMPTION ADVISORY (Jul 29) Largemouth bass were restocked in 2009 and had a very successful spawn. Many small fish will be available this year, some up to 10 inches long. Don't plan on targeting the large brood fish; there are not many of them. (Jul 2) Largemouth bass were restocked in 2009 and got off a very successful spawn. There will be a lot of small fish, up to 10 inches, available this year. Don't plan on targeting the large brood fish—there are not many of them. Regulations Gunnison Bend Reservoir Catfish, Largemouth Bass, White Bass (Jul 29) Conservation Officer Kody Jones reports that fishing for catfish, bass and bluegill is very good right now at both DMAD and Gunnison Bend. Fishing for catfish is best in the evening hours. Anglers are reporting success with worms and chicken liver. Fishing for bluegill and bass has been good on jigs and worms. (Jul 2) Conservation officer Kody Jones reports good fishing for catfish and bluegill. Try fishing with nightcrawlers and liver. Bass fishing is picking up. Holmes Creek Reservoir Bluegill, Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Walleye (Jul 29) Anglers report fair fishing for small fish. The water level is starting to go down and more brushy areas are becoming accessible. (Jul 22) No fishing pressure is observed when I check this water during the week, yet there are always fish raising when I check this water. Regulations Huntington North Reservoir Crayfish, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout (Jul 22) Aquatics Manager Paul Birdsey fished last weekend. He suggests fishing at first light when the water is quiet. Spend your efforts along the west side, using lipless crankbaits or tube jigs. After mid-morning, other water sports dominate the reservoir and fishing is over until evening. This water has special regulations. (Jul 14) Aquatics Manager Paul Birdsey fished last weekend. He suggests fishing at first light when the water is quiet. Spend your efforts along the west side, using lipless crankbaits or tube jigs. After mid-morning, other water sports dominate the reservoir and fishing is over until evening. This water has special regulations. (Jul 2) Aquatics Manager Paul Birdsey fished last weekend. He suggests fishing at first light when the water is quiet. Spend your efforts along the west side, using lipless crankbaits or tube jigs. After mid-morning, other water sports dominate the reservoir and fishing is over until evening. This water has special regulations. The limit is six bass. Only one bass may be over 12 inches. Regulations Hyrum Reservoir Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Tiger Trout (hybrid), Yellow Perch STOP WHIRLING DISEASE (Jul 29) A couple of guys were fishing from float tubes over the weekend. They had a 15-inch rainbow they had caught using worms. (Jul 22) I talked to a couple of guys who were fishing from float tubes over the weekend. They showed me a 15-inch rainbow they had caught using worms. (Jul 9) PowerBait has produced good fishing for shore anglers. Jordan River Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Sunfish, Walleye, White Bass No recent reports. Jordanelle Reservoir Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch STOP WHIRLING DISEASE (Jul 30) The water level seems to have dropped a bit. You'll find fair fishing for trout and bass — with all methods — from boats, tubes or the shoreline. Bass success has been best on the Rock Cliff side of the reservoir. You'll see quite a few recreational boaters, so early mornings are best if you plan to fish from a boat. (Jul 29) Both trout and bass fishing success is considered "fair" by using all methods from boat, tube or shoreline. Bass success has been best on the Rock Cliff side of the reservoir. (Jul 20) Anel Mukic of Salt Lake fished in a group of 4 and caught 7 smallmouth using tube jigs and spinners. "We were hoping for some trout but nothing was hitting on powerbait so we jigged some trees and grass lines and caught 7 bass. My buddy caught a nice 4 pound smally on a tube jig and i caught a 2 and a half pound bass on a white spinner. The rest were small to medium. Had a blast swimming in the warm water and fishing was productive!" (Jul 2) Both trout and bass fishing is considered fair to good from boats, tubes and the shoreline. It doesn't seem to matter which method you use. Bass success has been best on the Rock Cliff side of the reservoir. Regulations Kaysville Ponds Black bullhead, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Green Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout (Jul 29) Anglers report fair fishing for channel and bullhead catfish from the shore with worms or stink baits. One angler reported catching a bluegill on a fly rod. Trout fishing is been slow; try using worms and PowerBait. Fishing during the day is slow. Anglers are having the best success in the early morning or evening. (Jul 22) Anglers experienced very poor fishing. Hot temperatures kept many fishermen away from the ponds. REMINDER: There is a two-fish limit at urban fisheries. (Jul 14) Brad of Kaysville fished the south 2 ponds with a partner. "The small little catfish are biting worms in the afternoons, and all are very small. We have had no sucess with trout using numerous types of bait spinners and tackle. Be prepared to deal with less than congenial DWR folks checking limits, and good luck getting your limit in the first place!" Regulations Lake Powell Bluegill, Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, Striped Bass, Rainbow Trout, Walleye STOP QUAGGAG MUSCLE (Jul 29) Lake elevation: 3,636 feet Water temperatures: 82–87°F It appears that the full moon in July, during the heat of the summer, cools fishing off. Slurps are happening during the night, morning and at midday but fish are finicky and hard to catch. The best feeding period is the last two hours of daylight. On calm evenings, you can catch 10 to 25 surface feeding stripers. When the pesky wind is blowing during the afternoon, then you won't find a lot of fish to catch. Expect to see quick little pods of 5 to 10 stripers busting the surface and going right back down. It's possible to catch more fish if the schools are larger or if the small school comes back up a number of times. The southern lake is pretty quiet. Anglers are only catching a few stripers per day. The catch rate is more respectable in the San Juan and at Red Canyon in Good Hope Bay. You can find a resting school of stripers that will respond to bait. Stripers favor a few deep resting spots. You can catch them in good numbers at depths of 30 to 70 feet. Find stripers on the graph, chum heartily and then drop your bait to the appropriate depth. This action will be spotty; stripers prefer shad. The stripers may rest in a deep holding area one day and then be three miles up the channel the next. Expect the real boils to begin in mid-August—after shad have grown larger. Bass fishing follows the same pattern. Fish are deep and not very cooperative. Little smallmouth are shallow and will provide consistent action, but the larger fish are as deep as 35 to 50 feet. This will change as the surface temperature declines a few degrees and the full moon wanes. You will find this week's best fishing on calm evenings during the last two hours of daylight. Catfish and sunfish are not affected by the full moon. They should still provide fast action for kids of all ages on live worms near camp. (Jul 22) Lake elevation: 3,637 feet Water temperatures: 82–87° F Lake elevation has stabilized and water temperature is at its peak for the summer. It was 84 degrees F this morning at sunrise. These factors allow sport fish to settle into a pattern without responding to water level changes. Occasional monsoon cloud bursts are taken in stride without lasting impact. The water is warmer than most fish prefer sending most deeper during the heat of the day. Young shad take advantage of this and hang out at the surface hoping for separation from lake predators. Striped bass hang out at cooler depth strata but look up for a chance at an easy meal from the tiny bait fish. Stripers rise quickly as a group surround shad, eat quickly and then go back to cooler water. Sometimes the whole process takes a few seconds. At other times a bigger shad school makes it worth working up a sweat to eat more fish and the boil may continue for a few minutes. Catching fish focused entirely on eating three-quarter inch long larval shad is challenging, especially when the predators have to dive quickly for personal comfort. Here are some tricks to even the playing field a bit until shad have time to grow large enough to be bigger targets. When a boil is observed try to determine direction of travel so the boat can be in position to cast when fish resurface. The most vulnerable time for slurping stripers is the first time they break surface in attack. Almost any lure cast to a fish as it breaks surface will be eaten. More likely the boat will be in casting range when the school is headed for deep water. Follow the diving fish with a small diving lure like a Lucky Craft pointer or rattletrap. The most versatile lure is one that will descend quickly to the fish holding depth. Spoons and swim baits can be fished on top, at mid depth and in the deeper cool zone. Vary speed of retrieve until it is apparent that fish want it fast or slow. That speed preference seems to change throughout the day. Catching slurpers is challenging. This activity is found lake wide and seeing slurps morning and evening is assured. Boiling fish are found more often uplake when cooler water is closer to the surface because of the recent heavy runoff. Best boils and highest catches are coming from Good Hope bay to Hite. Don t forget bass with all the surface striper chasing going on. Casting a plastic grub in smoke or watermelon color at fist light in the morning is almost a sure thing. Again the northern lake is best. Ten-inch smallmouth are ever present over the length of the lake. Little bass and sunfish provide great sport for kids learning how to fish. Take some time out form water sports to teach a youngster the joy of fishing. He or she will be forever grateful. Small hooks and live worms are all that is needed. The same goes for catfish. Fish cats in the evening at supper time and bass in the early morning or under the shade of the houseboat. Can it be that easy? Try it and see. (Jul 14) Lake elevation: 3,638 feet Water temperatures: 80–85°F This is what to expect on a typical summer morning. We launched at Wahweap Stateline Ramp at 5 a.m. After the mussel prevention boat inspection we headed toward Castle Rock Cut. We saw single fish splashing along the way but no striper slurps or boils. That's not surprising; predators need sunlight on the water to see the tiny larval prey fish they are eating. Headed to the back of Warm Creek, we stopped to see if any of those single surfacing fish would hit a lure. The fish ignored all of our offerings. We saw an occasional yellow flash, which indicates most of these fish were carp. Near the mouth of Crosby Canyon, jumping fish were still scatted but some were in close proximity. We eased the boat in the middle of the loose congregation of fish and deployed various surface lures, flies, spoons and rattle traps toward each splash. Small, 8- to 12-inch yearling stripers were quite cooperative. They hit flies and small spoons, but their favorite was a blue rattletrap. In the next hour, We put 21 of the best eating fish in the lake on ice. Then we headed across Warm Creek on the way to Padre Bay. It was slow going. We would stop every 200 yards to cast at a 10 fish pod of slurping stripers. Some days, you can catch a fish from each pod. Not this time. We could only catch one striper out of every 5 pods of fish. Not a single fish hit a lure until we headed up the main channel. The rattletrap was preferred here again. In Padre Bay, the slurps were a bit larger. We caught an occasional fish when we placed the lure perfectly in front of the lead fish. I can't explain the lack of respect for many of the casts that I thought were perfect, yet my casts were ignored for some undiscovered reason. On the return trip, we saw pods of fish continuing to work in the same vicinity in which we saw them an hour earlier on the trip uplake. There were more fish in each pod but perhaps less aggression. They were totally focused on larval shad and not on artificial lures. At the fish cleaning station, we had 21 small stripers, eight 3-pounders and one walleye that ate a spoon that got too close to the bottom. Bass and walleye fishing should remain good for the dog days of mid-summer. Casting deep-diving crankbaits into the tree line will consistently produce fish, but you'll lose a few lures in the process. To catch walleye, troll over tree tops. Walleye numbers are at a level that I have not seen since the 1980s. Largemouth bass in the 4- to 6-pound range continue to provide great sport for those hoping to catch their personal best bass. Smallmouth fishing is good but larger fish are deeper on rock structure. Try fishing 25- to 35-feet deep for the best chance to catch a quality smallmouth bass. Catfishing is exceptional in the evening and after dark. Now that the lake has quit rising, good fishing spots will continue to produce fish each trip. Find a good spot and it will continue to pay off for the next month. (Jul 7) Lake elevation: 3,638 feet Water temperatures: 79–84°F Bullfrog is boiling! The main channel upstream from Bullfrog has erupted with significant, sustained striper boils. Bullfrog is the place to be right now. Cruise the main channel from Bullfrog to Good Hope Bay early in the morning or in the evening to find cooperative striped bass on the surface chasing shad. There are still slurping boils every day in the main channel near Wahweap, but fishing near Bullfrog and upstream is much more rewarding. Boils are seen more often in the main channel than in the backs of canyons. Shad migrate into the channel in search of plankton. That's where the shad are found by stripers. Stripers have recently completed spawning in main channel areas. Later, as shad grow larger, they leave the channels and bays to seek shelter in brush ringed coves. For now, search for hungry striped bass in the channels and bays in the morning and evening. The next step in the boil progression will be at Hite. The water is now clearing rapidly as runoff has subsided to normal summer flow patterns. With increased visibility, shad will migrate into the channels, as they have done down lake, and stripers will find them. There are more shad in the productive inflow areas. Expect boils to be bigger and stronger each day in the Hite area. That is where you should fish from mid-July to the end of the month. Walleye fishing remains strong from Bullfrog to Hite. There were record numbers of walleye in last year's northern lake sampling. Walleye are hungry and willing to hit live worms, plastic baits and trolled crankbaits. Morning, evening and night are the best times to fish for these light sensitive fish. You can catch them at midday and in the afternoon in areas where the wind or waves create a shady mudline for these ambush feeders. Muddy coves along the main channel are also great walleye spots. For bass, try fishing with plastic baits, live worms and spinnerbaits. Largemouth will be inside dense, brushy shelter. Weedless, rigged baits that you can work through and retrieve from brush are the most effective. Anglers are catching four-pound largemouth every week. Smallmouth bass are on rock structure. You are more likely to find them in the backs of canyons and coves than in open bays. Try trailing a single tail plastic grub rigged Carolina-style or fishing a drop-shot rigged plastic bait directly under your boat at 25 feet. Catfish fishing is awesome on sandy beaches near camp in the evenings and just after dark. It's the dog days of summer but Lake Powell fish don't care. They are still being caught in good numbers and exciting fashion. Regulations LaSal Mountains Albino Trout, Bluegill, Grayling, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Splake (hybrid) (Jul 30) On July 26, Conservation Officer TJ Robertson provided the following information: Colorado River—Catfish anglers have reported good success near the portal and just up river from Sandy Beach or near mile marker 6.5 on Highway 128. Use stink baits for best results. These may include rotten hot dogs, shrimp or squid. Dark Canyon— Fishing continues to be slow. Bait anglers have reported limited success with nightcrawlers and salmon eggs. Fly anglers have been using leech, mosquito and mayfly patterns. Dons Lake— Fishing has been very good. Fly fishermen have done well with a variety of small flies. Bait anglers have reported success with all types of baits. Hidden Lake— Good fishing continues. Good PowerBait colors have been rainbow, green and orange. Nightcrawlers have worked for some anglers. Fly fishermen have been most successful with small mayfly imitations as well as leech patterns. Roostertails have proven to be the best lures. Kens Lake—Fishing has been fair to good. Crawdad imitations and doubletail Yamamoto jigs have been catching bass in the mornings and evenings. Trout anglers have been doing well with worms and salmon eggs. All colors of PowerBait have yielded fair success. Sunfish have been hitting on small, bright-colored crappie lures. Medicine Lake—Fishing was slow this past week. A week ago, PowerBait, nightcrawlers and salmon eggs were effective. Fly fishermen have been using small nymphs and wooly buggers. Rattlesnake Ranch Ponds—Fishing continues to be slow. No recommendations. Oowah —Fishing continues to be good. Worms or PowerBait in orange, green, rainbow, and red/white/blue have been effective. Green/gold and green/red mini-Jakes lures have been working well. Fly fishermen have done well with leech patterns. Warner — Fishing has been fair to good. The best PowerBait colors have been green or orange. Other good baits include nightcrawlers and small marshmallows. Fly fishermen have reported success with leech patterns. (Jul 22) On 7/19, Conservation Officer TJ Robertson provided the following information: Colorado River - Catfish anglers have reported good success in the evenings near mile marker 6.5 on Highway 128 just up river from Sandy Beach. The usual catfish baits have been working. Dark Canyon - Fishing has been slow. Bait anglers have reported limited success with nightcrawlers and salmon eggs. Fly anglers have been using leech, mosquito and mayfly patterns. Dons Lake - Fishing has been good. Fly fishermen have done well with small black dry flies. Bait anglers have reported success with all types of baits. Hidden Lake - Fishing has been good. Anglers have reported catching fish on just about anything they throw in the water. Fly fishermen have been most successful with small mayfly imitations as well as leech patterns. Roostertails have been the best lures. Kens Lake - Fishing has been slow for trout, but has been good for bass, sunfish or catfish. Hot dogs or stink bait will catch catfish. Small crappie lures or crankbaits will take sunfish. The best times to fish are in the morning or evening, although some trout anglers have reported fair action in the afternoon with nightcrawlers and salmon eggs. Medicine Lake - Fishing has been good. Mini-Jakes in all colors have been effective. Fly fishermen have been using small nymphs and wooly buggers. Baitcasters have been using nightcrawlers, salmon eggs, and orange PowerBait. Rattlesnake Ranch Ponds - Fishing has been slow. Oowah - Fishing has been very good. Green, orange and rainbow glitter PowerBait have been taking both rainbows and brook trout. Small spinners such as mini-Jakes in green/red or gold/green have been performing well. Black Panther Martins and Roostertails with silver blades have been popular choices. Fly fishermen have done well with leech patterns. Warner - Fishing has been fair to good. The best end tackle is PowerBait in yellow or orange. Small spinners have worked well. Fly fishermen have reported success with leech patterns. Medicine Lake - Fishing success has varied from fair to good. Try green PowerBait, nightcrawlers, or small spinners. Conservation Officer TJ Robertson reminds campers that bears have been seen at several campgrounds and lakes across the LaSal Mountains. Robertson urges everyone to keep a clean camp and not to clean fish in the lakes, where they serve as an attractant. (Jul 14) Conservation Officer TJ Robertson provided the following report following the July 4 holiday: Dark Canyon — Fishing was slow at Dark Canyon. However, most people were found to be fishing during the middle of the day, when success is normally poor. Dons Lake — Fishing was very good. Fly fishermen did well with small black-colored dry flies. Bait anglers reported success with all types of baits. Hidden Lake — Fishing was good at Hidden Lake. Orange PowerBait, worms, salmon eggs and marshmallows worked well. Small Jakes spinners in gold and green, or silver and red seemed to work best for spincasters. Kens Lake — Fishing was fair to good. Early morning and late evening have been the best times to catch fish. The best PowerBait colors have been green, orange and rainbow. Worms tipped with a salmon egg have also been effective. Robertson noted that the water level has been dropping. Bass seemed to be active near the inlet, where the usual bass jigs have been working well. Oowah — Conservation Officer Robertson and his five-year-old son fished on July 6 and caught 18 fish in two hours. The best performing baits were orange or rainbow glitter PowerBait. Fishing was reported to be very good. Fly anglers were successful with small nymphs and grasshopper look-a-likes. Warner — Fishing was fair to good. Fly anglers enjoyed success with a variety of fly patterns. Medicine Lake — Fishing ranged from fair to good. Morning and evening anglers had the best luck with green PowerBait and nightcrawlers. Small spinners worked as well. (Jul 4) Steve & Joani of Moab fished the NE shore of Ken's Lake and caught 8 rainbows, 7 largemouth and 1 bluegill using nightcrawlers and Kick 'n Bass. "Yum-yum!!!!" Locomotive Springs Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout No recent reports. Mabey Pond Crappie, Catfish, Largemouth Bass No recent reports. Regulations Mantua Reservoir Bluegill, Cutthroat Trout, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout (Jul 29) Anglers report good fishing for bass and bluegill. (Jul 23) Fob of Brigham City fished the north half and caught 3 largemouth using plastic worms. "Nice largemouth from the shore. A couple per hour. Simple plastic worms, just beware the vegatation! Could even be better away from the ski boats." (Jul 22) An angler I talked to at Mantua over the weekend thought that bass seem to be seeking cover as water temperatures rise. He caught three bass using streamers. Look to fish open holes in the vegetation. Fly fishing with damsel fly patterns can be fun this time of year. Spinnerbaits can also be an effective way to trigger explosive strikes from bass hiding under vegetation. See my little video on bass fishing spots at http://www.facebook.com/video/?id=100000734104644 (Jul 9) Conservation Officer Mike Kinghorn reports that fishing for bluegill and bass has been good. Anglers report good bass fishing with buzz baits and jerkbaits. Regulations Minersville Reservoir Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass STOP WHIRLING DISEASE (Jul 29) Conservation Officer Brent Farnsworth reports that fishing for trout on Minersville Reservoir has improved, especially for those who troll from boats. Anglers are catching fish that average 10 to 14 inches long. Recent surveys found that trout are definitely making a comeback. Good numbers of 12- to 14-inch rainbows are available, as well as some larger fish (up to 21 inches). Trout should grow quickly this year because of higher reservoir levels and improved water quality. Smallmouth bass fishing has also improved. You can find good-sized smallmouth bass — some as large as four pounds — in the reservoir. Remember that the use or possession of bait, including scented lures, is prohibited at Minersville Reservoir. (Jul 2) Conservation officer Brent Farnsworth reports that trout fishing has improved—especially for those trolling from boats. Most anglers are catching 10- to 14-inch fish. Fishing for smallmouth bass has been improving as the water temperature rises. Recent surveys found that trout are making a comeback. There are a good number of 12- to 14-inch rainbows, and a fair number of larger fish that are up to 21 inches. Trout should grow fast this year with the improved water level and water quality. There are also some very nice smallmouth bass, up to four pounds, present. Remember that the use or possession of bait, including scented lures, is prohibited at Minersville Reservoir. Regulations Newcastle Reservoir Smallmouth Bass, Rainbow Trout, Wiper (hybrid) FISH CONSUMPTION ADVISORY (Jul 29) Fishing for rainbows is fair to good with bait, lures and flies. Trolling from the surface to 12 feet down is producing quite a few fish. Smallmouth bass fishing is also fair to good with standard bass techniques. Action for wipers is very spotty. (Jul 10) Jason Robison of Enoch fished by the dam with a partner and caught 1 smallmouth using worms. (Jul 2) Fishing for rainbows is fair to good with bait, lures and flies. Trolling from the surface to 12 feet down is producing well. Wiper fishing is very spotty. Smallmouth bass fishing is fair to good with standard bass techniques. Regulations Newton Reservoir Bass, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Rainbow Trout, Tiger Musky (hybrid), Yellow Perch (Jul 29) Anglers report slow fishing. There is a lot of powerboats activity. (Jul 22) Conservation Officer Matt Burgess reports Newton Reservoir has been providing a few muskies using fire tiger colors and brown trout Rapals. Some bass and perch are also being caught. (Jul 9) Biologist Ben Nadolski reports that the shorelines are turbid. The murky water will make it difficult to sight fish for muskies. Regulations Pelican Lake Bluegill, Green Sunfish, Largemouth Bass (Jul 14) The recent winds have created some interesting fishing conditions; however, in between storms the fishing has been good to excellent. Anglers are finding fish in the shallows and in about 15 feet of water depending on the weather. Both species bass and bluegill seem to be moving in and out of the shallows depending on the temperatures and storm conditions. Note: This is an AIS \"watch\" water for invasive mussels. Be sure to clean and dry fishing and other equipment exposed to the water, such as boats, waders, rubber boots and fish finders, both before and after using the reservoir. Regulations Pineview Reservoir Bluegill, Bullhead Catfish, Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Tiger Musky (hybrid), Trout, Yellow Perch (Jul 29) Dedicated Hunter Mark Strauss reports slow fishing. There is heavy boat and waterskier traffic. Try fishing for smallmouth in shallow waters. (Jul 22) Good small fishing is reported to be found around the entire reservoir. Larger fish can come from larger lures. Structure such as old trees can provide good fishing for crappie. (Jul 15) Dante Lazo of West Valley fished 3 different spots in a group of 3. "we caught nothing today, maybe we catch it all last time .4 hour and nothing .not a good day my freinds.." (Jul 9) Biologist Ben Nadolski reports that the fishing for smallmouth at Pineview is pretty good right now. The bass are just finishing their spawn. Most are still located in shallow shoreline areas, especially before sunset and right after sunrise. Anglers also report good fishing for bluegill, perch and a few crappie. (Jul 7) Dante Lazo of West Valley fished Cemetery Point in a group of 3 and caught 65 crappie using red and white jigs and black and yellow jigs" on a bobber. "when u hit a school of crappies they bite eveything my friends...dinner is gooood ..fried fresh crappies" Regulations Pioneer Park Pond Black Bullhead, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Channel Catfish, Green Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout No recent reports. Regulations Piute Reservoir Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass (Jul 29) Anglers report slow to fair action for rainbows from boats and from the shoreline. You'll find fair action for smallmouth bass with standard bass techniques. Quail Creek Reservoir Bluegill, Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout (Jul 29) Nighttime bass fishing is improving. You'll find slower fishing for trout. Try fishing early and late to avoid the heat and waterskiers. (Jul 2) Fishing is picking up for bass at night. Regulations Red Fleet Reservoir Bluegill, Brown Trout, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout (Jul 14) Anglers report good fishing for rainbows, bass and bluegill. Recent surveys showed an abundance of the illegally introduced walleye in the nets. These fish represented several age classes with some over six pounds. Red Fleet has no limit on walleye and all walleye must be killed and taken; no catch and release allowed. Anglers may access the reservoir from the backside but the closed gate limits it to walk-in only. This is to hinder the movement of invasive Zebra and Quagga mussels by controlling the launching of boats. Note: the new washing station is up and running. This is an AIS \"watch\" water for invasive mussels so be sure to clean and dry fishing and other equipment exposed to the water, such as boats, waders, rubber boots and fish finders, both before and after using the reservoir. Regulations Redmond Reservoir Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike No recent reports. Rockport Reservoir Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Tiger Trout (hybrid), Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch STOP WHIRLING DISEASE (Jul 29) Dedicated Hunter Chris Strauss reports poor fishing from the shore because of the warm and murky water. Boaters had better success in deeper, clearer water. Try using silver spinners. (Jul 22) Anglers report fair fishing for trout in deeper water (Jul 9) Dave Clark reports: "water was beautiful, bass were active. caught 9 small mouth and one trout and those were the ones I got into the float tube....great day for fishing." (Jul 9) Dedicated Hunter Bob McLean reports that fishing for rainbows is fair from the shore, especially if you use PowerBait on the bottom. Trolling action seems a little slow. Anglers report catching bass with dark tube jigs. Regulations Sand Cove Reservoirs Green Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout No recent reports. Sand Hollow Reservoir Bluegill, Largemouth Bass STOP QUAGGAG MUSCLE (Jul 29) Bass fishing has been good to excellent. You can find many medium-sized fish. For larger fish, go deeper and use larger baits. Bluegill are suspended in 20–30 feet of water, and fishing is good to excellent. Remember that the bluegill limit is 50, so count carefully. Try fishing early and late to avoid the heat and waterskiers. Quagga mussels are present in Sand Hollow, so plan extra time to have your boat washed before leaving. (Jul 2) Bass fishing has been good to excellent, but be prepared to wait in line for boat decontamination before you leave the reservoir. Regulations Starvation Reservoir Brown Trout, Crayfish, Smouthmouth Bass, Walleye (Jul 25) Weston Brierley of Orem with a partner and caught 4 walleye, 4 smallmouth, 3 rainbows and 3 perch trolling immitation minnows. "caught walleye fishing from shore" (Jul 14) Anglers report good fishing for rainbows and perch, fair for bass and a bit slow for walleye. Check out the rocky points, inlets and shallow bays. Try fishing parallel and close to the shoreline in the early morning and evening as big fish often cruise the shore looking for newly hatched fry and terrestrial insects, etc. washed in by the waves. Regulations Steinaker Reservoir Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout (Jul 14) Anglers are reporting fair to good fishing for rainbows and good for bass and bluegill. Baits and lures fished from the shore or boats were doing equally well. The trout can be near the surface and often right along the shoreline. Bass and bluegill may be in the shallows though many started to spawn before the water rose and these fish are now in roughly 10 feet of water. Over 500 tagged rainbow trout have been stocked for the Family Fishing Event; see the posters at Steinaker and local businesses for details. Also, roughly, 13,000 albino rainbows were stocked last fall so do not be surprised if you catch a fish that looks like a ghost. Regulations Strawberry Reservoir Crayfish, Cutthroat Trout, Kokanee Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass (Jul 30) Fishing continues to be good at Strawberry. Fish a little deeper this time of year (in 25–40 feet of water). Anglers report catching kokanee on both the Strawberry and Soldier Creek sides of the reservoir. Many anglers are also catching rainbows on the Soldier Creek side. Strawberry has special regulations: 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 or salmon may not be filleted, and the heads or tails may not be removed in the field or in transit. (Jul 22) Strawberry Project Leader Alan Ward reports that fishing has been good at Strawberry, with excellent fishing for some. Fish a little deeper this time of year (25 to 40 ft). Reports of kokanee being caught on both the Strawberry and Soldier Creek sides of the reservoir. Numerous rainbows being caught on the Soldier Creek side. Conservation Officer Hollie Riddle reports that fishing was good at strawberry over the weekend. Particularly trolling for kokanee. There is an aggregate limit of four trout or kokanee salmon, no more than two of which may be cutthroat trout under 15 inches, and no more than one may be a cutthroat trout over 22 inches. Immediately release all cutthroat trout from 15 to 22 inches long. Trout or salmon may not be filleted and the heads or tails may not be removed in the field or in transit. (Jul 10) Bill of Midway fished Soldier Creek on the 8th and 10th in a group of 3 and caught 8 cutts and 7 rainbows using imitation minnow lure. 'two cuts that were 25" and 23"' (Jul 6) Howard of Lindon fished Soldier Creek and caught 2 rainbows, 1 cutt and 1 chub using worms below a bubble in 1 to 3 ft. of water. "My son caught a nice cutthroat fishing about 20 feet from shore with a small trebble hook about 12 inches below the surface. Nice fish." (Jul 2) There have been mixed reports. Officer Riddle reported that fishing wasn't very good last weekend because of a bug hatch. The fish had plenty to eat and weren't interested in what anglers had to offer. However, Strawberry Project Leader Alan Ward noted that anglers are beginning to pick up kokanee on both the Soldier Creek side and the Strawberry side, near Haws Point. Rainbow fishing has been good, and cutthroat fishing is picking up. Summer techniques, which include fishing deeper during the day and near shore during early and late hours, should be working well. Strawberry has special regulations, so read the Utah Fishing Guidebook before you head out. Regulations Utah Lake Bluegill, Bullhead Catfish, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Smouthmouth Bass, Walleye, White Bass FISH CONSUMPTION ADVISORY (Jul 30) There have been several reports from anglers who are reeling in catfish! Try fishing with chub or carp meat. You can even use white bass meat, if you catch bass at the lake. Put the bait about two feet below a bubble, and then fish near structure (rocks and banks) or in the bullrushes. It's best to fish from a boat and cast into these areas. (Jul 22) Most anglers report good success for catfish and fair success for white bass. Central Region Aquatics Manager Mike Slater reports that catfish are still biting, but will probably be slowing down soon. Fish with cutbait (chub, carp meat or even use white bass meat that you may catch while fishing this way). He put the bait about two feet below a bubble and fish near structure (rocks, banks) or in the bull rushes. He likes to fish from a boat and cast into these areas. (Jul 5) Dante Lazo fished next to rentals house in a group of 3 and caught 12 crappie, 8 white bass, 6 bluegills and 1 walleye using tubed jigs yellow and black on a bobber in 2 ft. of water. "one more good day for me my friends...dinner was goooood..." (Jul 2) Officer Shawn Bagley reports that white bass fishing is excellent on the Provo River, right by the lake. Anglers are also catching some catfish. Please be aware that June suckers are spawning in area. If you hook one, you must release it immediately. Regulations Wide Hollow Reservoir Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, Rainbow Trout (Jul 29) Wide Hollow Reservoir has been drained for dam reconstruction and will be dry throughout all of 2010. Willard Bay Bullhead Catfish, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Perch, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Wipers (hybrid), Yellow Perch (Jul 29) Phil Tuttle reports good fishing for wipers in the morning and in the evening just before dark. Anglers report boiling wipers between 8 p.m. and dark in the middle and along the west edge of the lake. Try fishing with Rapalas, shad raps, and flies like Clouser minnows or Zonkers. During the day, fish in 12 to 20 feet of water to catch an occasional wiper. For catfish, drift with nightcrawlers from a boat or fish from the shore at and just after dark. Walleye fishing is inconsistent, but you can try bottom bouncing with worm harnesses. Target crappie by finding shade and fishing with jigs near and under structures in the afternoon. (Jul 23) Riley P. of Farmington fished in a group of 3 and caught 3 smallmouth, 3 channel cats, 2 wipers and a perch using Rapalas and a worm under a bobber. "Fished from 7 am - 2:45 pm. Fishing was ok. A very rude conservation officer gave us a ticket for a very dumb reason, other than that it was a pretty good day." (Jul 23) Jen of Ogden fished in a group of 3. "We went out at 6 a.m. and trolled until 12 o'clock noon and did not even get a bite. We found lots of fishing using a fish finder, but we tried several things and we could not get a single bite. What a waste of time and energy." (Jul 22) Trolling rapallas in the evenings seems to be the ticket. Check out the Hooked On Utah television program featuring Gary Winterton and his recent outing to Willard Bay to chase Wipers at: http://www.youtube.com/user/HookedOnUtah#p/p/BD2A0588F69DB3AF/1/hkuf13eAo_U (Jul 9) Sergeant Mitch Lane reports that fishing has been fair to good at Willard. Shore anglers are catching catfish, along with some wipers and walleye, by using worms on the bottom. Wiper fishing seems to be best in the early morning and late evening. Biologist Ben Nadolski notes that fishing at Willard Bay continues to improve. Anglers are reporting better catch rates for wipers, walleye and catfish compared to last week. The surface temperature is approximately 72 degrees. Anglers have had success catching wipers in Freeway Bay by trolling Rattletraps and Kastmasters. Walleye fishing has picked up too, and anglers have had good luck when trolling worm harnesses and bottom bouncers. Catfish anglers report the best success during the evening hours, but those who fish during the day have had some luck, too. Various baits have worked well for catfish, including chicken liver, stink baits and hot dogs. Regulations