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Utah Fishing & Outdoors Report

This report is updated on Thursday evenings. You can subscribe to its xml feed. It is also published as a weekly email newsletter. Subscribe or unsubscribe to the newsletter here.


Early Spring Fishing Forecast (Updated 2/22/07)

Warm weather has created slushy conditions on many popular Utah trout waters. Most reservoirs still have solid ice (at this writing) but many have slush on top of the ice. Utah Lake, Willard Bay and other waters are similar low elevations will probably lose their ice caps during the next couple weeks. Conditions can change rapidly so use extreme caution.

There is still plenty of good ice fishing at high-elevation waters. However, reservoirs may have a ring of weak ice or open water around their edges because the solid ice floats away from the shore as the reservoirs fill. You may need a plank to bridge to the solid ice. Wear waterproof boots. Snow machines may have trouble where conditions are slushy.

Good ice fishing bets include Strawberry, Currant Creek Reservoir, Scofield, Fish Lake, Panguitch Lake, Navajo Lake, and a bunch of small waters located at high elevations.

DWR has this new article on ice fishing the high lakes.
Salt Lake Tribune has this article with video clip on ice fishing in the High Uintas.

Trout fishing is often very good as the ice comes off a water. That should happen within the next few weeks at Deer Creek Reservoir, Jordanelle, Echo and other similar waters.

Walleye fishing will pick up a couple weeks after the ice is off Utah Lake and Willard Bay. The walleye are usually active in those waters by mid-March.

Fly fishing is already picking up on area streams. Midges hatch during warm spells between storms, and create good top-water fishing. Nymph fishing is usually good when there is no surface action. The Weber, Provo, Green and Huntington usually have good early spring fishing. Action will get better and better as the season progresses. By late March the Green will offer very good fishing, and will be attracting crowds on weekends.

Western Rivers Flyfisher has good info in this new fly fishing report.

Lake Powell action is still slow. You can catch stripers, walleye and other fish but you’ve got to work at it. Action will start to improve in late March and become very good in April and May. Watch the fishing report on wayneswords.com.

Watch the DWR weekly fishing reports and hotspot report for current information.


Late Winter Fishing Report (Updated 2-2-07)

Ice fishing is still in full swing in Utah, with many waters offering good action. This has been the coldest winter in several years and ice is safe and solid on most of our trout and perch reservoirs.

The ice fishing season usually starts to wind down in late February and early March, as ice conditions begin to deteriorate on low-elevation waters. High elevation waters usually have safe ice into April, but fishing pressure slows there because many anglers are turning their attention to the lower waters as they open up.

We've heard particularly good reports about the waters listed below. Many others should also offer good fishing. Check DWR's weekly reports for more information.

Bear Lake has good ice fishing for cutthroat trout and whitefish. A few lake trout are also caught there through the ice.

Strawberry has good but spotty fishing. Action can be very good when you find the right spot, but can be slow just a few feet away. So move around. Tube jigs and ice flies tipped with bait are effective.

Otter Creek Reservoir has been very good for nice rainbows. Reports say the ice is very thick (up to 18 inches).

Joes Valley been very good for splake, and a few tiger trout are being caught.

Fish Lake is good for splake, rainbows and perch.

Grantsville has been good for trout. DWR reports 3 big browns were caught there recently, including one that weighed 8 pounds.

Yuba Lake has been good for nice perch. All perch must be released at Yuba this year, to help the population rebuild. There are also rainbows in the reservoir but that action has been slow.

Mill Meadow and Forsyth (small reservoirs near Fish Lake) have very good fishing for trout, including tiger trout. Forsyth also offers good splake fishing while Mill Meadow also has good action for perch.

Flaming Gorge has safe ice down into the Sheep Creek area. Check ice carefully from there south because it may be unsafe. Rainbows and some kokanee are commonly caught. At the Gorge there is always a chance you will tie into a nice lake trout.

Quail Lake has good open-water fishing for rainbows, including a few nice sized fish. Trout action has been good from both shore and boat. Bass fishing is slow.

Stream conditions will improve tremendously during the next few weeks. Get out on a warm afternoon and work the deeper holes using Prince nymphs, pheasant tails or copper Johns. Streamers and leech patterns also work, particularly on streams where there are good numbers of brown trout.

Stream sections just below dams often have better conditions (less ice) than other sections. Try the Green, Provo, Ogden, Weber and Straight Canyon Creek below Joes Valley.

The Colorado at Lees Ferry is fishing well, with spring-like conditions.

Good fishing.
- Dave Webb

Check DWR's weekly fishing reports for up-to-date info.



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