Utah Fishing Reports

Promote Your Business or Website
Use our fishing wiki to promote your website and/or business.

♣ Read our fishing articles
♣ Listen to FishBytes on KSL Outdoors
♣ Take a SkyCall satellite phone on your next adventure
♣ Follow me on Twitter

May We Suggest:
- Auto/Truck/RV service & repair
- Bear Lake Area Snowmobiling
- Bear Lake Area Horseback Riding
- Bear Lake Area Family Reunions
- Private Ponds Fly Fishing in Castle Valley
- Pheasant Hunting in Castle Valley
- Park City Area Horseback, ATV, Private Pond Fishing
- OK3 Air Scenic Tours

What's New

Blame It On The Moon
I fished the Lower, Lower Provo for an hour yesterday evening and got skunked. I got lots of strikes but could only hook a few fish. And those that I hooked flipped off, every one of them. That was humbling. I don't claim to be a great fly fisherman but I seldom get skunked. If I get strikes I almost always catch fish.

I was out to prove that the Lower, Lower Provo is a good fishery, even though it gets much less pressure than the Blue Ribbon stretch just upstream. I fished the area above Bridal Veil Falls. The Provo is usually divided into 3 sections: the Upper (above Jordanelle Reservoir), the Middle (between the reservoirs) and the Lower (from Deer Creek down to Olmstead Diversion). On any given day there will be dozens of people fishing the Middle and Lower, but only a small number fishing below Olmstead. But there are nice fish down low. I saw a couple 16-18 inchers yesterday. I just wish I could have landed one.

Moon Lake
What Utah water offers the most diverse trout/salmon population? Moon Lake may take the title, providing a decent chance to catch:
- Brookies
- Tiger Trout
- Rainbows
- Cutthroat
- Splake
- Kokanee
- Browns (I hear there are a few in the lake)

Causey and Flaming Gorge are close. Let me know if you think of other candidates.

I've wanted to fish Moon Lake from a small boat equipped with a fish finder and downrigger, to go after the splake and see if the lake still has a few kokanee.

I've got the small boat ready and I'll be fishing there this weekend, if I don't get rained out. Should be a fun trip.

Flaming Gorge? I still haven't been able to schedule that trip. Hopefully, I'll get there in early September.

- Dave

More monsoon rains are possible Friday and Saturday, with frequent and potentially dangerous lightning. Take care if you are getting outdoors.

Next week temperatures will be noticeably cooler, with a hint of fall in the air.

Lake Powell fishing may be the best it has ever been right now, and the best it is going to be in the foreseeable future. Sport fish are big and fat and hungry. But anglers need to adjust tactics to catch them. Wayne Gustaveson reports excellent action dropping spoons vertically to striped bass holding at mid-depths under the boat. Read Wayne's report for details. Wayne concludes with this: "The forage shortage that is beginning makes it wise for all anglers to keep most of the fish caught. Striped bass, 9-12 inch smallmouth, and walleye should all be harvested. Largemouth and crappie should be released as their numbers will decline with a decrease in brush shelter next year. Every small striper caught should be kept as they are the most efficient predator in the lake right now."

Fly fishing is good right now on our streams using terrestrial patterns, and action should get even better as the weather starts to cool. Hoppers, ants, beetles and other big bugs are fun to fish, especially at this time of year when they are so productive. There are also a few PMDs and caddis on most streams.

Strawberry has been slow for many anglers for the past couple weeks. Action there should pick up nicely as temperatures cool.

Most other reservoirs have been good for trout. We've heard good reports from Scofield, Rockport, Flaming Gorge and Fish Lake.

Kokanee fishing is very good right now at The Gorge. Typically, kokanee are caught trolling but jigging can also be effective. You need a good graph to located the fish.