Utah Fishing Report

At this writing, these reservoirs reportedly have enough ice for safe fishing. Conditions can change quickly so always use caution.
- Scofield
- Otter Creek
- Huntington
- Cleveland
- Currant Creek
- Puffer Lake
- Woodruff
- Birch Creek
- Uinta Mountain lakes
- Utah Lake harbors (probably become unsafe this weekend)
- Willard Bay North Marina (probably become unsafe this weekend)

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Fishing Diamond Fork In Winter
During winter I try to live by this rule: When the weather’s nice, go fishing. Today it was and so I did. It felt great.

I think Diamond Fork is under-appreciated. The stream parallels a paved road for about 10 miles, providing easy access. But I enjoy fishing above Three Forks, where it cascades out of a steep canyon. Fewer people fish up there – less pressure and I think better fishing for bigger fish.

Conditions were tough today, with about 8 inches of snow and icicles dangling from branches. I hiked about a half-mile above the road and was soon overheating in my insulated waders. Steep banks, moderately challenging during summer. were now serious obstacles. I fell several times as I battled down to the stream.

Fishing was only fair but the two I caught were nice, fat browns. I never take time to measure but I suspect they were about 17 inches long. Fun.

Our website has many good articles on winter fly fishing.

Fishing Tip – Go Deep
During winter, trout become lethargic and less aggressive. They rest near the bottom to conserve energy. To catch them you need to work flies or baits slowly along the bottom, almost bumping them in the nose.

Today I started with a faster approach, figuring the fish would still be active because the water is not yet frigid. They totally ignored black woolly bugger, which usually produces well on Diamond Fork. After a few minutes I changed to bead-head nymphs and had better luck. I tried for a dead drift, slow and deep, and that worked.

Tip Of The Week
I’m going to start offering a “tip of the week.” I don’t claim to be a super fisherman and I know some of you are excellent anglers, so I’m requesting your help. Please send me your fishing tips. I’ll publish them here and on my website.

I’m particularly interested in seasonal tips. We’re now entering the ice fishing season and so I’m looking for ice fishing tips, and tips on winter fly fishing. I hope to line up a prize that I will give monthly. The most popular weekly tip will be declared the Tip of the Month and will win the prize. I’m still working out details, but please start sending in tips.

- Dave

FishBytes is sponsored by WebbStuf.com, a Utah company offering custom website development.

The warmer storms now aiming at Utah could change ice conditions. The weatherman says we may get rain at lower elevations tomorrow evening. That will soften ice in a hurry. Be careful.

Otter Creek Reservoir now has ice - our second major water to freeze. If offers good action for rainbows. Scofield was fishable near the dam last week and that area continues to be good for pan-sized trout, with an occasional larger fish showing up.

Utah Lake harbors have had safe ice and fast fishing for white bass. However, that ice will probably be unsafe this weekend because of the warm storms.

The North Marina at Willard Bay has been fishable, but that ice will also probably soften this weekend.

At Strawberry there is about 20 inches of snow on the ground and thin ice on some bays. The next cold spell could firm up ice on Mud Creek Bay. It will probably be 2 weeks or more before ice is solid on the main part of the lake.

Deer Hunting - "The Utah Wildlife Board made a controversial decision Thursday to slash the number of deer-hunting permits it sells every year in hopes of boosting the state’s declining deer population — even though a top wildlife official told the board that doing so won’t help." That's from this article in the Tribune.

DWR Utah Wildlife News
- Major deer hunting change
- Apply for a turkey permit
- Great Christmas gifts
- See hundreds of wild elk
- More chances to hunt bears
- New bear plan

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