Utah Fishing & Outdoors Report

If you have ever wanted to learn to catch smallmouth bass, now is the time because action is great all around Utah. Bass waters that are hot right now include Lake Powell and Sand Hollow in southern Utah, Flaming Gorge and Starvation out east, and Jordanelle, East Canyon and Pineview along the Wasatch Front.

At Lake Powell, "Bass and walleye are feeding along the breaking edge of main channel tamarisk flats," says Wayne Gustaveson. "Fish the break where the lake quickly drops from 20-30 feet for best results. Trolling the edge of reefs along that same breaking edge is a sure thing, but stops to unhook fish are frequent." Read Wayne's full report.

Also at Powell, striped bass are slurping shad larva on the surface. Anglers who find the surface slurps enjoy good fishing now and that action will get better as summer progresses. Bigger stripers are being caught fishing anchovies deep.

The Green River offers good fly fishing. Steve Schmidt gives this report: "With the fish getting bombarded by cicadas over the past three weeks, they are starting to get gun shy. Try ants and beetles to improve your success, especially if your larger terrestrial patterns are getting the once over. Tungsten droppers off your big dries are working very well, but the dry fly fishing is so good we haven't bothered much with fishing droppers." He continues: "PMD's and caddis are a little way out yet. Historically we see these other insects hatch towards the end of June. For right not you'll just have to be satisfied with the big terrestrials." Read his full report.

About the Middle Provo, Steve reports: "Stoneflies, Drakes and PMDs all got going over the weekend. There are also Caddis around, and streamers continue to be productive. Over the next few weeks we should experience some tremendous fishing on the Middle with all of these bugs out."

On the Lower Provo, nymphs are working well while anglers wait for PMDs and Stoneflies to begin hatching. Steve recommends fishing within a few feet of the bank because that's where most of the natural food is found.

Interesting Reports From Anglers
Boulder Mountain very good for brookies (beautiful photos)
Flaming Gorge is hot for smallmouth bass
Scofield has good trout fishing early in the morning
Navajo Lake is hot, Panguitch Creek is good and Panguitch Lake is slow
Pineview is good for small tiger muskie (good photos)
Deer Creek Reservoir is good for rainbows
Joes Valley and the stream below were good for small trout (good photos)
Utah Lake's Lincoln Beach very good for bluegill, ok for white bass, catfish
Willard Bay is good for walleye and wipers
Willard rocks are dinging props out of the channel from the south marina
Jordanelle good for smallmouth, including some bigger fish
Jordanelle, also good for browns and bows
Jordan River yields big walleye (fun photo)
East Canyon is good for smallmouth (nice photos)
Sand Hollow specific tips for bass

DWR Hotspots Report
DWR lists these waters as hot
- Pineview for bass, crappie and perch
- Weber River for trout and whitefish
- East Canyon for trout and bass
- Steinaker for trout, bass and bluegill
- Matt Warner for trout
- Nine Mile Reservoir for trout
- Lower Bowns for trout
- Lake Powell for bass, striped bass, walleye, catfish and panfish
- Sand Hollow for bass and bluegill

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