Bear Lake Fishing Report, Tuesday, September 28, 2010:
The surface water temperature on Bear Lake is 61 degrees. Fishing has really turned on for lake trout and for cutthroat trout in the last week and should only get better for the next few weeks. We have checked lake trout up to 18lbs and cutthroat over 6lbs. this past week. Trolling in water about 60-70 feet deep has been producing the best catches. Productive spots to try are off the Gus Rich Point area and along Cisco Beach. Both areas have been producing consistent catches. Most anglers are trolling with downriggers and large flatfish, but jigging with tube jigs tipped with cisco is also producing some nice fish.
**Lake trout have very limited natural recruitment in Bear Lake and their population is mainly sustained by stocking. They have very slow growth rates and fish over 10 lbs can be well over 20 years old and fish over 15lbs can be over 30 years old. The UDWR and IDF&G stock lake trout annually, but their stocking rates are conservative in order to prevent uncontrolled predation on the endemic fish (whitefish, sculpin and cisco) and to reduce competition with the native cutthroat trout. Therefore, if you are fishing for lake trout, please practice selective harvest of the large fish. The best tasting fish are those under 5lbs. anyway since they are not as old and off-tasting (i.e. greasy) as the large fish. If you plan to mount a large fish, fiberglass mounts can be made from measurements and/or pictures taken from the fish and do not require you harvest the fish. ******
Anglers (both boat and shore) are still catching rainbow trout along the state park marina and off the shoreline to the south of the marina. They are using powerbait and worms and flys with a bubble. Best luck has been in the early mornings and right around sunset. Boats can be launched at the Utah State Park marina, 1st point, Cisco Beach, and Rainbow Cove ramps.
Cuddy Buddy and I are heading that way early Friday morning. I can’t wait to try and hook a larger fish off of the new downrigger and now sounds like the time to do it. I’ve only managed a few 14" lakers up at FG and they didn’t even bust loose. I must’ve dragged them around a while till I popped them off of the rigger and reeled them in.
If I am able to hook one from the depths for a kiss and snap shot… do you need to be careful so as not to bring them up too fast. I know when we yank the perch off the bottom of Pineview in 40 ft of water in the winter they throw up the insides and releasing is not an option.
Thanks for the report. We were over there yesterday 9/27/2010 what a nice day the water was calm and the fishing was fair. Caught some nice Cutthroat but no Lakers. Still had a good time. Question are more fish being caught on the east side or by Gus Rich point. Thanks again for your report.
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Will be up this weekend with the new (To me) boat for a run at them. Downriggers came in today and I hope to have them installed by tommorow. Took it out on Willard this last Saturday and it wanted to catch wipers bad. Got one but was only out for a maiden voyage.
Great report - thanks for sharing, and good info on the Bign’s. Would like to see a pic of one of them 18lbers!
Saw a technique to help release fish that’ve come up from depth. They did it with Crappie that looked like their eyes were going to bug out. Held the gills down, and gave a mouth-to-mouth “blow” into the fish, then pitch them face first down into the water. Looked weird, but it’s supposed to be good luck to kiss a fish, right?
This is one of the best fishn’ maps I’ve run across - well labelled, AND underwater contours!
Bear lake has intimidated me, cuz I’ve only got a little boat. Didn’t realize how many launches there are. Guess I could launch at Cisco, and fish Cisco, or Get Rich - and won’t have to cross the lake.