ATTENTION: Quagga and zebra mussels are a major threat to Utah waterways. Read how you can help keep them out of Utah.
Warning: Whirling disease was found in the Northeastern Regional area, so please make sure to clean, dry and sterilize waders, live wells and other fishing gear before venturing to another water. Also do not clean fish or dump fish parts taken from one water into another lake or stream as this could also move whirling disease organisms.
BIG SAND WASH RESERVOIR: Anglers report fair ice fishing for rainbows near the dam/boat ramp. Check ice condition carefully before venturing out-especially the edges-as it may be filling.
BROUGH RESERVOIR: No new reports. Reservoir has ice. Check ice condition carefully before venturing out-especially the edges-as it may be filling. To get to Brough, take State Route 88 south from US Route 40 (Ouray Road). Turn west at the second dirt road past the high power lines, it should be signed. Follow this road approximately two miles following the signs. Road can be quite rutted.
BROWNIE / SPIRIT LAKE: No new reports. The area has received several snowstorms and lakes have ice. Check ice condition carefully before venturing out. Roads closed, accessible by skis or snowmobile. Warning: whirling disease was found in this area, so please make sure to clean, dry and sterilize waders, live wells and other fishing gear before venturing to another water. Also do not clean fish or dump fish parts taken from one water into another lake or stream, as this will also move whirling disease.
BULLOCK / COTTONWOOD RESERVOIRS: No new reports. Both reservoirs have ice but check conditions carefully before venturing out. Reservoirs are located approximately five miles north of the town of Gusher.
CALDER / CROUSE RESERVOIRS: Anglers have reported fair to good ice fishing. No road access-anglers are using snowmobiles from the Jones Hole Road. Calder regulations include: flies and lures only, no baits; all fish under 22 inches must be released immediately; bag limit is one fish over 22 inches.
CURRANT CREEK RESERVOIR: Lake has ice, several reports of good fishing. Anglers are going in from the dam and have fished in several different depths with good success for trout. Check ice edge thickness carefully before venturing out. Area received more snow last week. The road was kept open to the dam.
EAST PARK / OAKS PARK: No new reports, access by skis or snowmobile. Reservoirs have ice. Check ice edge condition carefully before venturing out as reservoirs are likely being filled.
FLAMING GORGE: As of January 24 launching boats is still possible at Mustang ramp but the canyon up reservoir is frozen at Cedar Springs. All other boat ramps are frozen. Ice has formed in most areas. Ice is mostly fishable from Big Bend north and at some other locations south of Big Bend. Ice is about eight inches at Marsh Creek. Buckboard is frozen and lake trout, rainbows and burbot are being caught. Ice is in Linwood, Antelope and Sheep Creek but check conditions carefully since ice has only formed for about a week. Ice is seven inches thick approximately 400 yards off of the Antelope ramp.
Lake Trout Fishing: Good to excellent fishing for 16- to 24-inch lake trout on most areas of the reservoir. Smaller lake trout will be concentrated in the northern end of the reservoir. If ice fishing, try fishing from the confluence, south to Big Bend. Use tube jigs in white, chartreuse, glow, brown tipped with a small chunk of sucker or chub meat. Airplane jigs and jigging spoons also work. Look for fish to be located in or near the old river channel. Fishing is usually best early in the morning or later in the afternoon.
First ice is typically good fishing. Use no stretch line to feel strikes and set the hook better. Use a graph to see suspended fish and put your jig in their face. Unlike their larger relatives, the smaller lake trout are excellent table fair with orange flesh and taste as good or better than a rainbow when cooked up on the grill. There’s an overabundance of lake trout under 28 inches in the Gorge so do your part to help the fishery and keep a limit of eight fish.
Larger lake trout ice fishing should be good from Big Bend south to Anvil Draw once fishable ice forms. Use larger tube jigs and jigging spoons on the ice. Remember, only one fish over 28 inches may be kept. Big lake trout eat big food so lures and jigs can be big also.
Kokanee Fishing: Kokanee fishing is slow because the schools are difficult to locate under the ice. If you can find schools of fish, try vertical jigging with buzzbombs or jigging spoons. Tipping with a mealworm or fish egg may help.
Rainbow Fishing: Good fishing for rainbows is being reported on most of the reservoir. Ice fishing for rainbows in Wyoming was good if you can find fish. Jigs, spoons and other typical rainbow gear work well. Look for suspended fish on your graph at 10 to 30 feet. Drop your lure in front of them to entice a strike. Most colors of spoons and minnow lures will work but go with lures in the one- to two-inch size.
Burbot (Ling) Fishing: Ice is solid in Wyoming end and we’ve been getting reports of burbot being caught in Firehole, Lost Dog, Sage Creek and Confluence, Buckboard and Marsh Creek areas. Try fishing with jigs late in the afternoon, early morning or at night on points coming into the reservoir. Use white or glow tube jigs two to three inches in size about 1/4 to 1/2 ounce in weight. Tipping with sucker or crayfish meat will help catch fish. Use of smelly jelly or similar scents in crayfish seem to help. These fish are fairly shallow (six to 30 feet) in the Wyoming end of the reservoir. Many anglers are reporting fast catch rates.
Recent netting in the area north of Buckboard has shown a large increase in the number of burbot present. Larger fish are 30 inches and up to four or five pounds. Burbot activity increases under the ice as these fish spawn in winter. These fish must be harvested if caught in Utah to help control their population as they were illegally introduced to the upper Green River drainage and could have a major impact on other fish species. There is no limit on burbot after Jan. 1 but you cannot waste the burbot in the Wyoming end of the reservoir and they can be released there.
Burbot are an excellent eating fish with white, flaky flesh that is similar to a perch. They can be breaded and fried or boiled and dipped in melted butter. You can use six lines on the ice in Wyoming so take advantage of tip-ups and harvest some burbot.
Smallmouth Bass Fishing: Smallmouth fishing is slow, as smallmouth tend not to bite well at temps near or below 50 degrees. Use twist-tail grubs on lead head jigs or small plastic worms, sinkos, twitch and crankbaits in about five to 30 feet of water off rocky shorelines and points. Crayfish imitation colors will work the best. Drop shot techniques will also work.
GREEN RIVER: (upper) The flows on the river are currently 800 cfs. Due to low inflows into the reservoir in 2007, flows should remain steady at 800 cfs throughout the winter to conserve water. Visit the Bureau of Reclamation Web site for the latest information on flows.
Fishing on the river slows a bit during the winter, as water temps are low. Dry fly fishing is typically slow during the winter. Nymph action was good. Please remember the slot limit size range has changed from 13 to 20 inches to 15 to 22 inches to make regulations more consistent statewide. Try fishing with glo-bugs and San Juan worms with smaller nymphs as a trailer, this combination was a real workhorse. Small midge patterns will work on some days. Streamers are working well and have been extremely good some days as well. Try size 2-4 buggers such as Goldilox and patterns in olive, pink and white.
Spin fishermen should try small rapalas (floating, countdown and husky jerk); small spinners; black, brown or olive marabou jigs; and small jigs. Please check to see that your tube jigs contain no fish attracting scents, as they are illegal to use in the river.
New Zealand Mudsnail densities have dramatically increased in several localized areas near Little Hole, and have been documented in most areas of the river. Please thoroughly clean mud and vegetation from waders, boats and fishing gear; and if possible, completely dry equipment before leaving the area. A hot water bath (120° F) will kill mudsnails, and spraying equipment with 409 or a similar soap solution before drying will increase effectiveness.
GREEN RIVER: (lower) Water level is low and the river is much more frozen than normal, but as the currents move and undercut the ice it is unsafe.
MATT WARNER RESERVOIR: No new reports on fishing success. The area is only accessible by skis or snowmobile due to snow and deep drifts. The Reservoir has ice and is probably good fishing.
MOON LAKE: No new reports. Should be iced over and good fishing as observed at lakes at similar elevations.
PELICAN LAKE: Ice over a foot thick with the possible exception of those areas close to shore, which get exposed as reservoir fills. Anglers report good fishing for bluegill and bass in shallow waters. Try small brightly colored jigs tipped with bait such as a meal worm or piece of a night crawler. Anglers catching fish recommend trying several areas including those in or near the reeds in three to seven feet of water.
RED FLEET RESERVOIR: Reservoir has ice and we’ve gotten several reports of good fishing for rainbows with a few browns being taken.
STARVATION RESERVOIR: Reservoir is iced over; some ice fishing activity was noted but few reports on success rates. Starvation Perch Search: on Thursday, January 31, biologists, park personnel and anglers will be saturating the ice in an attempt to locate the yellow perch. This excellent summer fishery seems to disappear under the ice so we’d like to find out where they go. Everyone is welcome to participate. The boat ramp will be used as an informal staging area on the morning of the 31st. Check ice conditions carefully as the ice along the edges will be thinner due to water filling reservoir also expect thinner ice in the deeper areas near the inlet or along the main channel.
STEINAKER RESERVOIR: Reservoir has good ice and we’ve been getting numerous reports on the good fishing for rainbows and a few nice browns. Anglers should check ice conditions carefully before going out. Reservoir is being filled which will make the ice edge thinner and some areas froze almost a month before other areas.
UINTA MOUNTAIN LAKES AND STREAMS: No new reports. Lakes and streams have ice but check it carefully before venturing out. Area has received several snowstorms. Ice fishing on high elevation lakes and reservoirs is almost always good. Fishing success on mountain lakes and streams can be spotty so if one isn’t producing try moving to another. With over 400 managed fisheries on the South Slope alone, it’s easy to find a new place to fish. Always go prepared for serious weather, as the Uinta Mountains are well known for frequent unexpected storms and high winds. Note: The Uinta Mountains have a four-trout limit with a bonus of four more brook trout-see proclamation for details.