Kanab Utah Trout Fishing?

[CaWils22]

I’m gonna be in kanab Utah Dec 25-1. I’ve done a ton of research into local trout rivers nearby and it doesn’t seem like there are many, which is why I need some help from local knowledge. I’m looking for any river that’ll produce some action in late December. I won’t be bringing waders either so the tinier the river the better. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated. My target species is cutthroat but it’s not essential because I mainly just wanna be out fly fishing.

Thanks

CW

[Joe_Hill]

Kanab is one of my least favorite towns in southern Utah. Partly because there is no good trout fishing nearby. If you really aren’t going to have waders, I’d go big and fish the Colorado at Lee’s Ferry. You can stay dry on the gravel bar (walk in area) and catch rainbows on egg patterns fairly easily in late December and early January. Just check when they are changing flows before going. I don’t believe Kanab Creek has trout. Upper Kanab Creek is a separate creek that is a tributary to the East Fork of the Sevier. It was treated a couple years ago and has Bonneville Cutthroat now. This isn’t a very close drive from Kanab at all. It’s quicker to get to parts of the Sevier or East Fork of the Sevier although I think waders would greatly improve your success on both. Probable closest place is the East Fork Virgin River but it’s mostly rainbows. If your willing to drive further Leeds Creek is a reliable producer of footlong Bonneville Cutthroats on size 12-14 nymphs that time a year. I’d wear waders but if you’re careful you can fish it without. South Ash Creek is a 15 minute drive north of Leeds also with Bonneville CT. You may not be able to drive up to where it holds trout due to snow and gate closures however that time of year. I haven’t been to Panguitch Creek in at least 20 years but that would be another choice.

[CaWils22]

Thanks for the response Joe. Sounds like I should try and bring some waders then. I saw some things about Lee’s ferry, upper kanab, and east fork of sevier. Right now based on your list I’m eyeing panguitch, east fork virgin, and Leeds creek as the ones I’m probably gonna fish, just because I’m gonna be visiting Zion, which seems decently close to Leeds and east fork virgin and Bryce Canyon, which seems decently close to panguitch. I just gotta do more research for them. If you ever need any fishing spots in Michigan (that’s where I’m from) I will be happy to give you some

[PBH]

With this cold spell, the Sevier may have ice issues. The East Fork Sevier in Black Canyon doesn’t have the ice issues (high water table, lot’s of springs).

You’re heading to a tough place (Kanab) for trout fishing streams. You’re going to have to drive a couple hours to get into anything.

[CaWils22]

Oof. That’s not what I want to hear. I appreciate the info though. I will look more into the east fork then.

[richyd4u]

Yeah, Kanab is not a great fishing destination for sure. You could venture all the way up to the Fremont, but that’s a drive. Jackson Flat reservoir there in Kanab gets heavily planted with some substantial sized browns. You could also head over to Baker Reservoir in Veyo and fish both the reservoir and the upper and lower Santa Clara there, browns in all of them, bows in the reservoir as well. Quail Creek reservoir has bows, with some larger ones pushing 18"+. Kolob, Panquitch, Minersville and OC will all be iced over. You could also try the Beaver River below Minersville. Good luck!

[CaWils22]

Lots of options to consider for sure. I appreciate the input

[Joe_Hill]

@CaWils22

Lots of options to consider for sure. I appreciate the input

Just one more piece of advise. Leeds Creek is a very tight stream with branches and in some places the canyon wall limiting your casting. It’s not a good place for a 9 ft 5 wt. I use 1 and 2 wt rods from 5’8" to 7’ in length. It’s fishable in winter right as you cross the bridge entering the National Forest and upstream for many miles.. Sometime I even hike down 50 yards from the bridge and fish up. Don’t bother going further downstream. This lower stretch is slightly easier to fish and catch fish if you aren’t used to fishing these very tight spaces. Good news is in winter you don’t have to worry about rattlesnakes.

[CaWils22]

@Joe_Hill

“CaWils22, post:7, topic:320731” wrote:

Lots of options to consider for sure. I appreciate the input

Just one more piece of advise. Leeds Creek is a very tight stream with branches and in some places the canyon wall limiting your casting. It’s not a good place for a 9 ft 5 wt. I use 1 and 2 wt rods from 5’8" to 7’ in length. It’s fishable in winter right as you cross the bridge entering the National Forest and upstream for many miles.. Sometime I even hike down 50 yards from the bridge and fish up. Don’t bother going further downstream. This lower stretch is slightly easier to fish and catch fish if you aren’t used to fishing these very tight spaces. Good news is in winter you don’t have to worry about rattlesnakes.

Got it. I don’t have anything that size. My smallest travel rod is 8’6” 5 wt so we will have to make it work with that. I found the access point you are talking about and man it is tight looking. I’m just hoping to catch a couple. Looks like a lot of sling shot casting too. Not having to worry about rattlesnakes is always a plus!

One more thing, any recommendations for certain nymphs working better than others? Thanks

[Joe_Hill]

About any nymph will work. These fish aren’t picky. I tend to use both tungsten and lead weight beadhead Prince nymphs on Leeds. But hares ear and caddis nymphs certainly work. I’m sure smaller nymph varieties would work but I start big and only go down if needed- which is not the case 99% of the places I fish.
My best memory of hitting the lower section in winter (was mid January) was when my 2 dogs ran up the far left bank after we had done poorly a couple miles further up. This is maybe a hundred yards above the bridge. Now my dogs had fished with me hundreds of times and knew not to spook fish as well as being extremely obedient to my commands normally. I think they were just excited to have an area they could run and play (and probable warm up) in the snow. Anyways despite being mad at the dogs for likely ruining this stretch of water, I fished upstream anyways. In the next 10 minutes I caught 3 Bonneville Cutthroat over a 40 yard stretch. The first one had a cataract in it’s left eye, so did the second one and then the same with the 3rd. It was a little freaky. I guess all 3 were spawn mates with the same genetic defect. However they obviously didn’t see my dogs run up right next to them of the left stream bank.

[PBH]

If you are going to drive over an hour from Kanab – which almost every suggestion will be – then play the smart card: go fish the East Fork Sevier in Black Canyon.

A. The river will be ice free (high water table, lots of springs = ice free river all winter long)
C. Access – with the recent winter storms, some of the places mentioned may not be accessible. The EF Sevier is a maintained (plowed) road.
B. You will be fishing for rainbows, cutthroat, and browns that range from 12" - 24". Legitimately nice fish.

As much as I like those small streams in Washington / Kane counties (Leeds, Browse, Harmon / Mill, Kanab Creek, EF Virgin etc.) they are just not great streams. They are all very small, with typically very small fish (Leeds would probably be the nicest stream). They are very brushy and difficult to fish. They also will have unmaintained roads - which can be a problem this time of year.

If you were staying in St. George – I’d throw out Beaver Dam Wash out near Motoqua. That would be a legitimate wintertime flyfishing spot, that could actually produce some winter dry fly action for small wild trout. The Santa Clara would be another decent option.

I know you are set on stream fishing for trout - but you have another option you could consider: Lake Powell. You could fish it from shore around Wahweap and get into some stripers…

[Joe_Hill]

@PBH

If you are going to drive over an hour from Kanab – which almost every suggestion will be – then play the smart card: go fish the East Fork Sevier in Black Canyon.

A. The river will be ice free (high water table, lots of springs = ice free river all winter long)
C. Access – with the recent winter storms, some of the places mentioned may not be accessible. The EF Sevier is a maintained (plowed) road.
B. You will be fishing for rainbows, cutthroat, and browns that range from 12" - 24". Legitimately nice fish.

As much as I like those small streams in Washington / Kane counties (Leeds, Browse, Harmon / Mill, Kanab Creek, EF Virgin etc.) they are just not great streams. They are all very small, with typically very small fish (Leeds would probably be the nicest stream). They are very brushy and difficult to fish. They also will have unmaintained roads - which can be a problem this time of year.

If you were staying in St. George – I’d throw out Beaver Dam Wash out near Motoqua. That would be a legitimate wintertime flyfishing spot, that could actually produce some winter dry fly action for small wild trout. The Santa Clara would be another decent option.

I know you are set on stream fishing for trout - but you have another option you could consider: Lake Powell. You could fish it from shore around Wahweap and get into some stripers…

We’re getting further and further from Kanab but have you aver fished Beaver Dam Wash? Even from St. George it is an all day commitment. First you have to get to Motoqua. That’s a good hour if you drive really fast on dirt roads. You have to ford that creek about 10 times and hope the roads are passable to then get up past Doc’s Cabin. If everything is perfect and you drive really fast for the conditions this is 40 minutes. You need at least 9 inches of clearance and lots of experience to have any shot at making it. Even a foot of clearance is no guarantee you’ll be able to make it to Docs Cabin. Only on rare years do you find fish before you get there. Most years you have to start hiking up in the wilderness section several hundred yards to a few miles to find trout. I’d say plan on an hour before giving up given the time you already invested. Some years the water was too low and hot and there will be no trout. Very few wild fish in that section since 2007. There were some until a year or 2 after the Reservoir in Nevada was washed out. Nevada stocks the creek in the State Park even if the reservoir is gone now. They last stocked it with rainbows in April. I do have a report from mid September this year that trout were still living in the creek. It’s a wide open space where stealth is a must but no worries about snagging your fly. It can be very fast winter fishing on dries and nymphs. Presidents day typically has a good caddis hatch in one of the basalt canyons but you won’t always find trout in that section. Most fish are going to be 10-13 planters. In the old days a few 15-16 inch trout could be found most years. It would probable take a great water year to get that again. Despite all that I’ll probable give it a shot in a month or two.

[PBH]

Joe_Hill wrote:

We’re getting further and further from Kanab but have you aver fished Beaver Dam Wash?

Which is why I said “If you were staying in St. George…”

Yep. Surprisingly enough, I’ve fished the stream above Motoqua.

As has been mentioned, finding a trout stream to fish in late December near Kanab is not an easy task. Any legitimate stream is going to be a pleasant 2 hour drive.