New Fishing Rules Approved for 2003 

Beginning in 2003, anglers will not be able to keep cutthroat trout at Strawberry Reservoir that are between 15 and 22 inches long.

That rule was among more than 40 fishing changes that the Utah Wildlife Board approved for Utah's 2003 fishing season.

The new rules will not go in effect until Jan. 1. Anglers may learn the rules by obtaining a copy of the 2003 Utah Fishing Proclamation, which will be available by late November.

Among the fishing changes approved were the following:

Cutthroat Limit at Strawberry

The board approved a new trout limit for Strawberry Reservoir to try and counter a growing population of Utah chubs.

The new limit will allow anglers to continue keeping four trout and kokanee salmon. However, beginning Jan. 1, they cannot have more than two cutthroat trout under 15 inches and not more than one cutthroat over 22 inches. All cutthroats between 15 and 22 inches must be released immediately.

"The Utah chub population in the reservoir is increasing and the population of large cutthroats is declining," said Tom Pettengill, sport fisheries coordinator for the Division of Wildlife Resources. "Those larger cutthroats are needed to keep the chub population under control so Strawberry will remain one of the premier fisheries in the West."

Some anglers had suggested placing an artificial flies and lures only restriction on the reservoir so that fish anglers catch and release would have a better chance of surviving.

"We didn't think that idea would solve the problem," Pettengill said. "At the present time, harvest accounts of about 80 percent of the angler-caused mortality of trout in Strawberry Reservoir

"Anglers who fish at Strawberry keep more fish than anglers who fish elsewhere in the state," he continued. "Across most of Utah, anglers release three out of every four trout they catch. At Strawberry, they keep more than half the fish they catch. We had to find a way to reduce the number of cutthroat trout anglers were keeping."

Pettengill says increasing the number of cutthroats in the reservoir does present some concerns. "The larger cutthroats also eat the smaller rainbow and cutthroat trout we stock, and cutthroat trout and kokanee salmon that are produced naturally, so we need to try and balance the cutthroat population," he said. "We need enough cutthroats to keep the chub population under control, but we don't want so many that the survival of stocked trout is greatly reduced.

"Based on the data collected by our biologists at the reservoir, we feel the cutthroat regulations the board approved are the best compromise."

4-fish limit at community waters

To provide better fishing at waters located in Utah's communities, the board approved a four-fish aggregate limit at most of them. A four-fish aggregate limit means anglers cannot keep more than four fish, no matter what species of fish they catch.

"In addition to trout, we're stocking these community waters with catfish, largemouth bass and bluegills," Pettengill said. "The statewide limit for catfish is 8 fish. We can't allow anglers to keep that many catfish at these heavily fished waters and still provide good fishing for everyone. We need to spread fish out over a longer period of time so everyone can enjoy good fishing, and not just the people who are there when the stocking truck arrives."

The waters this regulation applies to will be listed as Community Fishing Waters under the Specific Waters Section in the 2003 Utah Fishing Proclamation.

Equalized juvenile and adult limits

Beginning Jan. 1, the fish limit for anglers under 14 years old will be the same as the adult limit. Currently, anglers under 14 years old who don't buy a fishing license can fish for free and take half the limit that an adult can take.

"The 4-trout statewide limit we went to this year limits these young anglers to only two trout a day," Pettengill said. "We felt that was too restrictive and wanted to allow young anglers a chance to keep the same number of fish adult anglers can."  

Standardized size limit for trout

Regulations at reservoirs where anglers are only allowed one trout over a certain length (known as a slot limit) will be standardized at 22 inches in 2003.

"The upper limit at Kolob Reservoir is currently 20 inches, it's 18 at Strawberry and it's different lengths at various other reservoirs," Pettengill said. "We wanted to make it easier for anglers to know what the limit is by standardizing it at 22 inches."

Pettengill says the regulation will not affect the Green River and other streams.