Latest Updates:
  • Good open-water fishing at Currant Creek, for nice trout.
• Strawberry has fishable open water. Ice-off fishing will probably peak about May 1.
• Utah has a new catch-and-release record channel catfish. The 36-inch fish on April 16.
• Spring bass fishing will soon peak at Lake Powell. Action is now good for all species.
• Fishing contributes more than $259 million annually to Utah economy, according to a new USU study. Blue Ribbon waters generate most of that total. More details.
• Hot Ice-Off Fishing Right Now at Scofield: DWR reports ice is now pulling back and fishing is really good. Details.
• Utah's DWR Reports: There's a lot of open water along the shore at Scofield, and the trout are hungry. Use chub meat, dead minnows or nightcrawlers for bait.
• Ice-off at Strawberry: Ice has pulled back a little in front of the Ladders, and in a couple other spots. Most of the lake still has a firm ice cap but people are starting to fish in the open areas. Next week may be the real beginning of the famous Strawberry ice-off fishing.
Action is often very good as the ice pulls back from shore. Many anglers like to work the edge of the ice as it recedes, using a float tube or kick boat to get out close. They cast parallel to the ice and work lures or jigs along its edge. Some also cast onto the ice and hop their lures off of the edge, letting it sink into the open water right at the edge of the ice plate.
We we get a spell of warmer weather, the ice will pull back quickly. Saturday, April 27, may be a busy day at the lake. Get up there Friday, if you can.
 • Big Brown Trout in Otter Creek: While doing a fish survey at Otter Creek Reservoir, DWR biologists were pleasantly surprised to find three brown trout 21 to 27 inches long and weighing 5 to 8 pounds. They also found plenty of fat rainbows. Details.
• Yuba Reservoir Pike: Right now is a great time to try for a monster pike in Yuba Reservoir. Details.
• Arizona's biggest fish ever: A 76-pound flathead catfish from Bartlett Lake is now the largest fish every caught in Arizona. It was taken on April 12, 2013. Details.
• Quagga Mussel larva found at Lake Powell. Prompts warnings and regulations for boaters, who must be diligent in draining, cleaning boats. Details.
• Free Walleye Fishing Seminar: On March 19, a panel of top Utah walleye anglers will tell you how they catch walleye at the Twenty-first Annual Utah Walleye Seminar. The free seminar starts at 7 p.m. in the Department of Natural Resources Auditorium, 1594 W. North Temple in Salt Lake City. Details.
• Ice Is Off: DWR reports that the ice is off and fishing is good at Minersville, Otter Creek, Newcastle, and Upper and Lower Enterprise reservoirs.
• Utah Lake is mostly ice free, as of 3-15-13.
• Utah's Most Popular Fishing Waters: DWR has this interesting blog post listing the waters that get the most views on the agency's website. I was surprised.
• Green River has good streamer and nymph fishing for trout below Flaming Gorge. Some pike are also being caught there. Read details.
• Ice is now coming off low and some mid-elevation reservoirs. Lower Enterprise and Newcastle now have open water. In the north, Tibble Fork is ice-free. Others will follow fast. Trout fishing is usually great as reservoirs open up.
• Strawberry and other high-elevation waters will have solid ice for several more weeks. However, reservoirs are filling and so there will often be slush on top of the ice. Fishing can be good but you need to wear waterproof boots. Snow machines may get bogged down in the slush.
More Articles:
Flaming Gorge Burbot Bash Breaks Records
This year's Burbot Bash at Flaming Gorge broke all the records: most people, most teams, most fish caught, most tags returned and the most money given away. The event attracted almost 1,200 participants composing 563 teams. That's over double what we saw the first year when there were 485 participants. Anglers caught about 4,200 burbot in just two nights! Compare that to the first year of the Bash when anglers caught just over 4,000 burbot in eight nights. More.
28 Pound Striper Caught At Lake Powell
 Last week Jesse Pond caught a 28 pound striped bass near Forgotten Canyon at Lake Powell. His father, Sean, posted this account of the epic battle in the Anglers' Corner section on WaynesWords.com. He posted 2 photos, one of which is shown here.
Tips From Our Friends
We invite you to participate on this website by making comments, submitting fishing reports and sharing photos/videos.
Come back often and join the fun. |
