Utah DWT fishing report by region 2-8

[Fishing Report]

BEAR LAKE: (February 03) Call the Bear Lake recorded information line at 435-946-8501 for up-to-date lake conditions.

BIRCH CREEK RESERVOIR: (February 09) The reservoir has two feet of ice, topped with three inches of crusty snow. Fishing is slow to fair for rainbows up to 18 inches long.

BLACKSMITH FORK RIVER: (January 24) River conditions are good. A couple of anglers fishing the impoundment open water areas in the canyon had fair success for brown and rainbow trout using spinners.

BOUNTIFUL LAKE: (February 09) Please use extreme caution when testing the ice.

CAUSEY RESERVOIR: (January 24) Anglers report that fishing continues to be slow.

CUTLER RESERVOIR & MARSH: (January 24) Cutler receives almost no fishing activity during winter months.

EAST CANYON RESERVOIR & STATE PARK: (February 09) Sergeant Keith Fullenkamp reports that anglers have had limited fishing success. They caught a few rainbow trout in the middle of the lake near Taylor Hollow. The optimum fishing depth was 12 to 14 feet. White jigs (tipped with any kind of worm) were working best. A few anglers caught some larger rainbows on the bottom near the west shoreline, across from Taylor Hollow.

ECHO RESERVOIR: (February 09) Conservation Officer Rustin Nielsen reports fair fishing from Jan. 30 through Feb. 4. Anglers caught rainbow trout, using various colors of paddlebugs or Gitzits that were tipped with shrimp or mealworms. Most fish were caught at 12 to 15 feet under the ice. There is at least 12 inches of ice on the reservoir.

FARMINGTON POND: (February 09) The pond is closed for the season.

HOLMES CREEK RESERVOIR: (February 09) Conservation Officer Wyatt Buback reports 8 to 10 inches of ice. There haven't been any recent reports of fishing success. As you approach the edges of the ice, please be extremely careful. The reservoir is filling, and the ice may be unstable at the edges.

HYRUM RESERVOIR & STATE PARK: (February 03) Volunteer Ty Anderson reports the ice is 12 inches thick with soft edges. Use caution. The fishing continues to be slow and the water conditions are murky.

JENSEN NATURE PARK POND: (February 09) Conservation Officer Wyatt Buback reports mostly open water. Fishing has been fair for anglers who used PowerBait about 18 inches off the bottom.

KAYSVILLE PONDS: (February 09) Conservation Officer Wyatt Buback reports unsafe ice conditions throughout most of the ponds.

LITTLE CREEK RESERVOIR: (January 24) Sergeant Keith Fullenkamp reports anglers are continuing to have great success at the reservoir. The ice is at least eight inches thick. The edges are soft due to rain and warmer weather conditions. Anglers are catching quantities of planter rainbows that have fattened up considerably since being stocked this summer. Any kind of bait offered seems to work well.

LOST CREEK RESERVOIR: (February 09) Please keep in mind that there are new regulations at the reservoir: The trout limit is four fish. You may keep three fish under 15 inches and only one over 22 inches. All fish (including rainbows) from 15 to 22 inches must be immediately released.

MANTUA RESERVOIR: (February 09) Fishing continues to be good for panfish.

MIRROR LAKE: (February 09) Whitney Reservoir has been hot for smaller trout. Access is by snowmobile only, and the ice is more than two feet thick. The ice also has about one foot of slush on top, so use caution if you plan to snowmobile onto the lake.

NEWTON RESERVOIR: (January 24) Biologist Chris Penne reports the edges are soft and even questionable after all the rain and warm temperatures. Anglers would be well advised to bring a plank and exercise caution if they are looking to ice-fish Newton.

OGDEN RIVER: (February 09) Fishing has improved with warmer days. Flows are low and clear. Nate Miller from Fish Tech Outfitters has been fishing with midge patterns.

PINEVIEW RESERVOIR: (February 09) There are large cracks between the shore and the ice on the main access point at the Narrows. Use extreme caution, especially if you're fishing at night. The ice is also extremely slick. You may want to use ice cleats for a better grip. Fishing for crappie in the Narrows continues to be good. The fish are in 40 to 60 feet of water and suspended 15 feet from the bottom. The bite is very light.

PORCUPINE RESERVOIR: (February 09) Road conditions to the reservoir are icy, and you may need four-wheel drive to make the trip. The ice is six to eight inches thick. Anglers report slow fishing.

ROCKPORT RESERVOIR: (February 09) Sergeant Keith Fullenkamp reports that the Rockport Reservoir tagged fish challenge now has 45 tagged fish. To date, none of the tagged fish have been caught. Fishing was slow over the weekend. Due to safety concerns, please do not park on the west side of Hwy 32. Please park in the pullouts on the east side of Hwy 32 or enter the park. The marina is plowed to allow easy access to the ice. Conservation Officer Bruce Johnson wants to remind the angling community to always use caution along the shoreline and when walking on the ice. Several anglers have slipped and fallen on the slick ice. Anglers need to remember to pay their park fees, even along the west shoreline pullouts. Anglers who are using ATVs or snowmobiles need to enter the state park and launch from the boat ramp only. No ATV or snowmobile access is allowed from the west or south shorelines.

WEBER RIVER: (February 09) Biologist Paul Thompson reports that flows from Echo Dam are still low, so the river is pretty small downstream until Lost Creek adds some water. Flows between Echo and Rockport have been holding steady between 90–100 cfs. Both reaches have been fishing well with standard nymphs (hares' ears, pheasant tails, scuds and midges).

WILLARD BAY RESERVOIR: (February 09) Park Ranger Mert Russo reports that fishing is still slow. The ice is extremely unsafe and changing daily. It is not thick enough to walk on safely.

[Fishing Report]

BIG SANDWASH RESERVOIR: (February 10) There are no new reports on fishing conditions at the reservoir. The lake is frozen with at least 18 inches in the place we checked. Only a few anglers have used it judging by the number of holes. The reservoir is accessible from the boat ramp and from a new public access point on the northeast corner.

BROUGH RESERVOIR: (February 10) There are no new reports on fishing conditions. The lake looks frozen but ice conditions unknown. Check the ice carefully before venturing out. The reservoir has special catch-and-release regulations. You must use flies and lures only—bait is not allowed. See the Utah Fishing Guidebook for details.

BROWNE LAKE: (February 10) Anglers report fair to good fishing on the lake. The Ashley National Forest has closed the roads at the lower gates and the region has received snow during the last few storms. Access is now by skis and snowmobiles.

BULLOCK RESERVOIR: (February 10) The reservoir appears frozen, but ice conditions are unknown. Check the ice carefully before venturing out.

CALDER RESERVOIR: (February 10) Fishing has been good considering the no-bait regulation, which has made the catch rate a bit slower than other reservoirs. Try using jigs and lures that glow as the thickness of the ice and snow has made the depths quite dark. The reservoir has special catch-and-release regulations. You must use flies and lures only—bait is not allowed. See the Utah Fishing Guidebook for details.

COTTONWOOD RESERVOIR: (February 10) The reservoir has ice, but there are no reports on fishing conditions. Check the ice carefully before venturing out.

CROUSE RESERVOIR: (February 10) There are signs of anglers fishing the reservoir, but no contacts so catch rates are unknown. The roads are open and mostly clear or packed snow.

CURRANT CREEK RESERVOIR: (February 10) The last few reports stated good fishing with easily accessible roads. Anglers caught three species: rainbows, cutthroat and tiger trout. Anglers are fishing near the dam in over 50 feet of water but said most of the fish were within the 15 to 25-foot range. Glow and brightly colored jigging spoons and jigs tipped with a mealworm were the hot gear. They reported solid ice conditions where they were fishing. When they went in, the southern road was open with easy drive in access. No reports yet on the road conditions since the last set of snowstorms.

EAST PARK RESERVOIR: (February 10) Ice covers the reservoir. Check the ice carefully before venturing out.

FLAMING GORGE: (February 10) The Gorge has fishable ice in the northern arms but no safe ice in Utah. There have been some reports of new ice forming below the arms as far south as the pipeline. Reports on ice conditions are sketchy, but one angler reported five inches of new ice. Anglers also report good to excellent results for open-water fishing for the trout species from both shore and boats. Test the ice before venturing out.

Lake trout: Lake trout fishing has been good to excellent with anglers finding fish almost everywhere. Ice anglers fishing the northern arms are doing well for the pups. In Utah, anglers fishing the shore for rainbows in 15 to 20 feet of water have also caught lake trout. Schools of pups have been reported from close to the surface to 100 feet. If you can find a school, the hits will be fast but light. A good line (fluorocarbon or braid) helps you feel the strike and get a good hook-set when jigging. You can help the Flaming Gorge fishery by harvesting a limit of smaller lake trout. The limit is eight fish, with one over 28 inches.

Kokanee salmon: Not hearing much about kokanee, which is expected during the winter. Although the DWR has stocked millions of kokanee over the last few years, the population remains low due to predation by lake trout and burbot. Anglers need to harvest small lake trout and burbot to reduce their impact on kokanee.

Rainbow trout: Anglers report good to excellent fishing from the shoreline and from boats (casting and trolling). A boat is essential to access most of the reservoir; however, there is shore fishing near the visitor center (by the dam) and by the boat ramps. Fish can be anywhere including close to shore. Look for schools near cliffs, points and submerged ridges in about 10 to 60 feet of water.

Note: be careful on the ice this year as most of the lake did not freeze. Between the winds and irregular freezing patterns, ice conditions can change rapidly from one spot to the next. Ice thickness ranges from thin ice to roughly two feet. There are also numerous pressure ridges and some of these have reopened near anglers even though the surrounding ice was six or more inches thick.

Anglers are catching burbot through the ice in the northern arms and from shore and boats below the confluence and into Utah. Some fish are over eight pounds. Fishing started slow this year but has continued to improve over the last few weeks. Try fishing for a few hours, starting around sunset, along the rocky points and cliffs near the main channel. Burbot will hit during the day, generally in the deeper waters, and become more active during the twilight hours when they move into the shallows to forage. Fish the bottom or just slightly above it in depths from 10 to 50 feet. Use just about anything that glows (spoons, tube jigs, curly-tailed jigs, minnow jigs) and tip it with some type of bait (cut bait like sucker meat). Place your lure close to the bottom and recharge the glow frequently. It is common to catch a fish immediately after re-glowing and dropping a lure. You can use up to six lines through the ice. So far, there doesn't seem to be much of pattern as to jigging technique, some nights dead sticking works best and other nights active jigging brings in the most fish. You'll help the Flaming Gorge fishery by harvesting as many burbot as possible. There is no limit on burbot.

GREEN RIVER BELOW FLAMING GORGE DAM: (February 10) Anglers are mostly using winter presentations; however, there have been a few hatches on the warmer days. Try a double rig with a large fish imitation with a scud, shrimp or imitation salmon egg trailer. Often the fish are attracted to the larger presentation and then hit the smaller. Watch for hatches as they can occur on the warmer days. On windy days, anglers who use lures have been more successful because it's easier to cast. Try Rapalas (floating, countdown and husky jerk), spinners, spoons, black, brown or olive marabou jigs and plastic jigs.

LONG PARK RESERVOIR: (February 10) Ice covers the reservoir. Check the ice carefully before venturing out. Roads are closed at the gates and the area has received snow during the last few storms. Access is now by skis and snowmobile.

MATT WARNER: (February 10) Fishing has been good to excellent using jigs and spoons that glow or are brightly colored. Try using smaller presentations, as the fish will be pickier. Tip the lure with bait such as a meal worm or night crawler. The road was accessible last week by branching off the Jones Hole Road at the coral. This road has been kept open by anglers breaking through the drifts. Due to the last few storms, high clearance vehicles are a must.

MOOSE POND: (February 10) Ice covers the pond and ice anglers have done well, though now the fishing has slowed. Try a small jig or ice fly tipped with a meal or wax worm.

PELICAN LAKE: (February 10) The fishing shut down seems to have broken. We've had several reports of 25-fish-days over the last two weeks. It is not as fast as in years past, but the catch has been steady. Anglers are also reporting more bass in the catch than normal. Not many anglers have been fishing it because of the shut down the first few weeks of January. Most of the anglers have fished the north and east sides.

RED FLEET RESERVOIR: (February 10) Anglers report good fishing for rainbows near the dam and the boat ramp. We've even heard from a couple of anglers who targeted and caught walleye and a couple that found bluegill near the dam. From the boat ramp parking lot it looks like the reservoir is completely frozen, however there is an open area near the dam and there could easily be other areas with unsafe ice. There is also a ring around the bank where there is new ice as the reservoir is being filled and the thicker ice is being pulled away from the shore. Last week's snow may also be covering thinner ice so proceed with caution and check the ice carefully before venturing out.

SHEEP CREEK LAKE: (February 10) There are no recent fishing reports. Ice covers the lake, but ice conditions aren't absolute, so proceed with caution and check the ice carefully before venturing out. The gates are closed and roads snow-covered and a bit icy, so access is now by skis and snowmobiles.

SPIRIT LAKE: (February 10) The ice is fishable and conditions should be fair to good. The roads are closed so access is now by skis and snow machines. Check the ice carefully before venturing out.

STARVATION RESERVOIR: (February 10) Anglers report slow to excellent fishing for rainbows and yellow perch and fair fishing for browns; however, there are numerous areas with open water and they are growing in size. Anglers fishing Rabbit Gulch last weekend reported good fishing but the open water area was getting larger as they fished. Besides Rabbit Gulch, there are areas of open water in the middle, in Indian Bay and in front of the main boat ramp and campground. In many other areas, including north east of the bridge, the ice is turning blue-grey, which is a sign that it's deteriorating. The safest ice is likely southwest of the bridge and near the dam; however, the reservoir is getting filled and the older, thicker ice is being pulled away from the shoreline. Ice conditions in most areas aren't absolute, so proceed with caution and check the ice carefully before venturing out.

STEINAKER RESERVOIR: (February 10) Angler's reports were mixed. Some reported good fishing while others thought it was slow. We are seeing more browns on the ice this year. The two areas of open water near the north end are now one. Anglers who have been out on the ice near the boat ramp and close to the dam reported eight or more inches. Ice conditions will vary and it is likely the unsafe areas are expanding, so proceed with caution. The reservoir is also being filled so there is an edge of thinner new ice, which formed as the older thicker ice was lifted up and pulled away from the shoreline.

[Fishing Report]

BURRASTON PONDS: (February 10) Conservation Officer Jay Topham says that anglers report good fishing with various baits.

CANYON VIEW PARK POND: (February 10) The pond is closed for the winter.

DEER CREEK RESERVOIR: (February 10) On February 9, Regional Aquatics Manager Mike Slater reported driving past the reservoir and seeing folks fishing in Wallsburg Bay and near Charleston at the access point. Exact ice thickness is unknown, but there were probably ten groups out fishing. Use caution on the ice. Conservation Officer Orin Neal reports that Charleston Bay at Deer Creek is frozen. The ice thickness varies from about two to five inches, but 20 or 30 people were out ice fishing it last weekend. Anglers had decent luck on white jigs or rainbow PowerBait. A thin layer of ice covers most of the rest of Deer Creek, but the ice isn't safe. People are still catching rainbows from the open water near the main boat launch. Call Deer Creek State Park at 435-654-0171 for current ice conditions.

DIAMOND FORK RIVER: (February 10) Anglers report slow to fair fishing with flies, lures or worms. There's not much fishing pressure.

GRANTSVILLE RESERVOIR: (February 10) Anglers report some open water on the north end with four to five inches of ice on parts of the reservoir. Use caution if venturing onto the ice.

HIGHLAND GLEN PARK: (February 10) Fishing is slow for trout and there's not much fishing pressure. There's a two-fish limit at Community Fishing waters.

JORDANELLE RESERVOIR: (February 10) Conservation Officer Orin Neal reports that Rock Cliffs is about the same as last week. A few people are out on the ice. One group was pretty far out—they drove side-by-side OHVs out there, but I didn't contact them. I talked to a few shore anglers but no one was having much luck at Jordanelle.

KIDNEY POND: (February 10) Fishing is slow, and there aren't many anglers at the pond. A thin layer of ice has formed. Do not fish from the ice.

LITTLE DELL RESERVOIR: (February 10) There are no new reports this week. Remember, artificial flies and lures only. All cutthroat trout must be immediately released.

MANILA CREEK POND: (February 10) There are no new reports this week.

MIDAS POND: (February 10) Fishing is slow, and there aren't many anglers at the pond. The water is mostly open, whereas Kidney had a thin film of ice.

MILL HOLLOW RESERVOIR: (February 10) Winter conditions restrict vehicle access and the gate is closed.

NINE MILE RESERVOIR: (February 10) Conservation Officer Casey Mickelsen reports that Nine Mile and Palisade have unsafe ice fishing conditions. There's a lot of open water. There are no reports on shore fishing.

PALISADE RESERVOIR & STATE PARK: (February 10) Angler Tom Ogden reports fishing Palisades Reservoir with his son and Steve and Perry Bunderson. Steve and Tom fished from 10:00 until about 2:30 and caught eight tigers and 14 rainbows. Most of the fish were small but they each managed to catch one 18-inch tiger. The largest rainbow was about 14 inches. Perry didn't arrive until about 2:00 but they saw him catch some fish before they left. Tom used a fast sinking line (#6) with size 6 and 8 wooly buggers, leeches and soft hackle flies in purple, black, white and red colors. Steve used a slow sinking line (#2) with size 6 and 8 soft hackle and wooly bugger patterns in black and red. The water temperature was 38 to 40 degrees and the visibility in the water was about eight feet. There were about a half dozen shore anglers during the day. They were fishing over on the dam and were too far away to tell how they did. The reservoir has opened up some more since January 30. It's probably more than 50 percent open water now. The fishing was best from 10:00 until 12:00, and then it slowed down.

PAYSON LAKE: (February 10) Conservation Officer Shawn Bagley reports that the canyon's access gate is closed for the winter.

PROVO RIVER, LOWER: (February 10) Anglers report fair fishing with size 20 or smaller nymphs/dry flies of various patterns. Experiment until you find the right pattern. Please read the Utah Fishing Guidebook for special regulations.

PROVO RIVER, MIDDLE: (February 10) You'll find fair to good fishing with a blue-winged olive pattern, glo-bugs or midge pattern (size 20 or smaller). Bait is allowed from above Charleston Bridge to the Legacy Bridge. Harvest of legal-sized fish is encouraged. Please read the Utah Fishing Guidebook for the special regulations on this river.

SALEM POND: (February 10) Conservation Officer Shawn Bagley reports fair fishing for trout. Most anglers are using PowerBait.

SETTLEMENT CANYON RESERVOIR: (February 10) Anglers report that the ice is becoming unsafe, and that a couple of people have broken through. Please wait for thicker ice before venturing onto this reservoir.

SILVER LAKE: (February 10) There weren't many anglers seen on the ice.

SPANISH OAKS RESERVOIR: (February 10) Conservation Officer Shawn Bagley reports that the reservoir is closed until spring for safety reasons.

SPRING LAKE: (February 10) According to Conservation Officer Shawn Bagley, anglers report good fishing for trout in the open water. They are using traditional baits and lures. Worms are a good bet.

STRAWBERRY RESERVOIR: (February 10) Assistant Strawberry Project Leader Justin Robinson reports going to the Soldier Creek Marina early in the morning. The road was passable with a snowmobile trailer in tow. Four-wheel drive was needed to get back up the hill and two-wheel drive is NOT recommended. They went straight north from the boat ramp, found 30 feet, and started fishing. Fishing was fair with ten rainbows and one slot cutthroat caught within three hours. The bite was very light and strike indicators helped (to see the bite) a lot. They fished in 15 to 40 feet of water. The majority of the catches and bites happened suspended in 10 to 30 feet of water. Medium-sized jigs tipped with some type of bait worked best. The best colors were green, pink and glow. As usual, the newbie caught the most fish—good job, Tonya, on catching your first fish through the ice and showing the boys how it's done. Rainbows came in two size classes: 12 inches and 15 to 17 inches.

Parking lots around the reservoir are plowed and access is good around the lake. The west side road is closed at the turn off to Strawberry Bay marina and the dam road is not passable to vehicles past the day use area.

The best reports for rainbows have been coming from the Soldier Creek side of the lake, but fishing has been good reservoir-wide. As always, if the fish are not biting, try different presentations and depths and don't be afraid to move around. There are always fish biting somewhere on this lake.

There are special regulations in effect at Strawberry: the limit is four trout or kokanee salmon in the aggregate. No more than two may be cutthroat trout under 15 inches, and no more than one may be a cutthroat trout over 22 inches. All cutthroat trout from 15 to 22 inches must be immediately released. Trout and salmon may not be filleted, and the heads or tails may not be removed in the field or in transit. Check the Utah Fishing Guidebook for more regulations. For help differentiating the Bear Lake cutthroat from the rainbow trout, see this brochure.

THISTLE CREEK: (February 10) Fishing is fair and there is not much fishing pressure. Worms or flies work well.

TIBBLE FORK RESERVOIR: (February 10) Anglers report over five inches of ice on parts of the reservoir, but there are some soft spots and open water on other parts. Use extreme caution! Ice anglers report fair to good fishing in 10 to 15-foot depths of water using bait-tipped jigs.

UTAH LAKE: (February 10) Conservation Officer Chris Rhea reports that Utah Lake is mostly open. White bass are hitting decent. No one was seen fishing the Jordan River.

VERNON RESERVOIR: (February 10) Anglers have been seen out on the ice. The fishing is fair for trout using bait-tipped jigs or traditional baits.

VIVIAN PARK POND: (February 10) The ice is unsafe. Please use caution.

WILLOW POND: (February 10) On February 9, Conservation Officer Mike Roach reported that the Salt Lake urban ponds are fishing well. They are a little slow at times, but when the weather is warm the fish like to bite. The ponds are ice-free for the most part. The stocking of fish should start this month for the new 2012 season. Standard baits and spinners work the best. Willow and Sandy ponds are fishing the best.

YUBA RESERVOIR & STATE PARK: (February 10) Officer Jay Topham reports very few anglers. The safety of any ice is questionable. Call the state park at 435-758-2611 for ice conditions.