Strawberry Reservoir Fishing Overview

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Description
Strawberry is Utah's most important fishery - it receives more fishing pressure than any other local body of water. It's popularity comes from a variety of factors: 1) consistently good fishing, 2) close proximity to the heavily populated Wasatch Front, 3) beautiful mountain setting.

Location
Along Hwy 40 in Strawberry Valley, east of Heber.
        75 miles from Salt Lake City
        60 miles from Provo

Primary Species
Cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, kokanee salmon

Special Regulations
At Strawberry it is important to protect cutthroat trout, so they can grow big enough to prey on Utah chubs, which are the primary forage fish in the reservoir. Cutthroat are aggressive predators and biologists hope they can keep chub numbers in check, to preserve a healthy balance in the reservoir. For that reason, all cutthroat from 15 to 22 inches must be immediately released. The limit is four fish total, counting all species of trout and salmon. No more than two of the fish may be cutthroat, and only one of the fish may be a cutthroat over 22 inches.

Tributaries to Strawberry Reservoir also have special regulations. Some are closed year-round to all fishing. Some are open for catch and release fishing with artificial flies and lures, but are closed during certain times of the year. See the current proclamation for details.

Seasonal Factors
Strawberry usually freezes about mid-December and offers very good ice fishing. In late winter slush develops over the ice and conditions deteriorate. The ice cap usually breaks up in late April or early May.

Fishing can be very good as the ice pulls back from shore. Anglers often have good luck casting bait or lures onto the ice and then hopping the offering off the edge of the ice and letting it drop straight down. It can also be productive casting parallel to the edge of the ice and working the water under the edge. Tubing and boating can be hazardous at this time because wind can blow the ice around and trap fishermen.

Spring open-water fishing is often hit and miss. Action can be very fast just after ice-off, but it can also be slow. Strawberry is notoriously fickle, very good one minute and dead slow the next. Success becomes more consistent a few weeks after ice-off, when the water has warmed a couple degrees. During this early period fish often cruise the shorelines, where they are vulnerable to people fishing from the bank. Wade out a few feet and then cast parallel to the shoreline, keeping lures or baits in the productive shallow zone. Float tubing can be very productive at this time of year. Because fish feed close to shore, anglers often cast completely over them into deeper, less productive water.

As summer sets in, the water warms and fish move deeper to stay at comfortable temperatures. Shore fishing slows at this time. Boaters have good success trolling weighted line or using downriggers to get lures down to the level of the fish. Fish come up near the surface during early morning and late evening hours. Tubing can be very productive during the evening, using a fly rod to present woolly buggers, leech patters, crainfly nymphs and other bugs.

In late summer, the dog days of summer, fishing slows but fish can still be taken by anglers trolling deep or fishing very early or late in the day. Kokanee begin to stage in front of tributaries and other spawning areas. They can be taken trolling deep with small, flashy lures.

In fall, as the water cools, fishing improves dramatically. Some of the best fishing of the year takes place in October. By late October air temperatures become very chilly and storms can be intense, but anglers willing to venture out enjoy very good fishing. Good action continues until ice blocks access.

Lures and Techniques
When the water is cool and fish are cruising the shorelines you can sit in a float tube and cast toward shore, getting into water just a inches deep. Retrieve flies using slow, erratic strips. Cast lures to the shore and then retrieve them with pauses. Dark-colored woolly buggers work well, as do Rapalas, Jakes and other lures.

In a tube or pontoon boat, let out plenty of line and then kick slowly around a bay, trolling your fly or lure. Or let the wind push you across the bay, again trolling your fly or lure.

In the late evening when fish are near the surface, troll a needlefish or triple teaser very slow using monofiliment line. At slow speeds these lures will wobble with a wide, erratic movement, enticing strikes.

Use tube jigs (whites, greens, browns). Cast them toward shore and work them along the bottom, as if you were bass fishing. Or use them to jig deep where you see clustered fish on a fish finder.

During the heat of summer, troll pop gear and a worm. Use weighted line or a downrigger to get the lure down to the fish.

When bait fishing, use some strategy to float the bait up off the bottom. One method is to put a weight on the end of your line and then tie a dropper on the line about a foot above the weight. But a baited hook on the dropper. Use a marshmallow or some other floating bait in conjunction with half a nightcrawler or a piece of minnow.

When ice fishing, use a Kastmaster or other heavy lure to attract attention and get your lure down to the desire depth. Tie droppers up a foot or two and add hooks with baits.

Rat finkies, ice flies and small jigs also work well when ice fishing. Tip them with a piece of nightcrawler, wax worm, meal worm, salmon eggs, or other baits.