Utah Fishing & Outdoors Report

The news this week is that low water is making it difficult to launch boats at some reservoirs. At Deer Creek, both ramps are closed. You can still launch small boats but it is at your own risk. Willard Bay is extremely low and launching there is also at your own risk. At Hyrum, Palisades, Quail Lake and Newton Reservoir low water is making launching difficult. See the State Parks boating conditions report for details.

Fishing is good to excellent at many waters. Strawberry is dynamite for people who fish deep using jigs tipped with sucker meat or part of a nightcrawler. This year, more than ever before, people seem to have learned how to fish jigs for trout. Tip a peal-colored jig with sucker meat or half a nightcrawler and drop it down deep. You’ll catch fish if you get it down to them. A good fish finder is almost essential for this kind of fishing.

Smallmouth bass fishing is excellent at Jordanelle, Pineview, Flaming Gorge, Sand Hollow, Lake Powell and other waters. This seems to be a banner year for smallmouth at Wasatch Front waters. Jordanelle has become a very good bass water. People are responding - more seem to be fishing for and catching these scrappy sport fish.

At Powell, striper boils have become common on the lower lake. Wayne Gustaveson reports: "My Goodness! Something happened to Lake Powel this week. The cause is uncertain but we know that yearling stripers that were feeding on top near Hite went deep. At the same time the bottom feeding fish on the south end came to the surface. I suspect there is a logical reason... Rather then try to explain the phenomenon, I just went fishing! It has been awhile since I have found full open water boils where I could reach them from Wahweap or Antelope Point. This morning 103 stripers were caught in 2 hours of fishing."

For fly fishermen, hoppers are becoming very effective. Steve Schmidt explains: "As the grasses dry out, hoppers are now moving to the rivers riparian areas to feast on the last of the green grasses. The browns are beginning to take notice. I've always done better on the Middle (Provo) with hoppers because of the corridors meadows and grasslands. They are far more extensive here than in the narrow lower Provo Canyon. They aren't the only land-based insects that are worth fishing. Ants and beetles on those hot sunny afternoons can be very productive."

Interesting Posts by Anglers
Strawberry is hot jigging for cutthroats
Strawberry - lots of people keeping illegal fish
Jordanelle remains very good for smallmouth and perch
Mantua bluegills keep the family happy
Flaming Gorge has fast smallmouth fishing
Deer Creek poacher busted
Tibble Fork Reservoir is good for trout

DWR Hotspots Report

DWR says these waters offer hot fishing

- Pelican Lake for bluegill and largemouth bass
- Pineview Reservoir for crappie, bass and perch

- Weber River for trout and whitefish

- Fish Lake for splake, rainbows, perch

- Sand Hollow Reservoir for bass and bluegill

- Lake Powell for bass, stripers, walleye, crappie and catfish

New Articles
DWR
Deer permits sold out
Colorado River cutthroats returned to the Book Cliffs
Search for quagga or zebra mussels continues
Stiff fines the result of knowingly breaking fishing and hunting laws
Pineview yields huge tiger muskie
Newton Reservoir boat ramp is now out of the water

KUTV
'CAST' Lets Special Utah Kids Reel 'Em In
Catching Crawdads In Utah
Catching Crawdads, Cleaning... And Cooking Them
Recipe For Crawdad Boil
Utah Field Guide: Crawdads
State Parks: Rockport

Deseret Morning News
Deep Blue : There's plenty of water to go around at Lake Powell
Utah may see more tourists from Asia
Dove season starts Sept. 1; young birds may be plentiful
From 'other side of the pond,' carp are revered
Permits sold out for '07 deer hunt
Sierra Club calls land buy for Legacy connector risky
Zion Park plans to rein in cheatgrass

Salt Lake Tribune
Slight decline in bird numbers forecast for dove-hunt opener
Deer-hunting permits sold out
Outdoor Notebook: Top dogs, Flow Tour, Mid Mountain Marathon and more
Out Takes: Give Us Your Best Shot
Wildlife mascots
Guitar hooks flow at Fountains of Wayne concert
Tight Lines: The lowdown on high flows
Wharton: Camouflage shows hunters, hipsters cater to one pattern
Recreation roundup
Bird sighting
The outsider: Hawk Watch, Paddle Fest
Mushroom Society of Utah to hold its fall fungal foray
Hook Shot
Board and bike competition
Where is it