Utah Fishing & Outdoors Report

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.