Thinking of trying Utah lake state park this weekend. Have not seen any recent updates, so hoping I have a little luck and can provide an update.
My last two attempts at the state park last fall resulted in not a single bite, putting me at a 50:50 skunk ratio for the four attempts I have made at the lake. My strategy thus far is to have one pole out with a piece of white bass, shrimp, or worm on a santee cooper rig, and then throwing jigs, spoons and lures with the other rod. Will be fishing from the shore, my boat is still a month or two out from being seaworthy again. Not targeting any particular species, any are welcome at this point!
Good luck to everyone heading out this weekend.
That’s what i call it lol
Thanks for the advice! I noticed in the current conditions, it still has the water temp listed as 34 degrees. Was hoping that the temps would have come up a few degrees with this past weeks warmer temps. Still worth a shot.
When I cast out a bait and bobber the wind and waves move it about, usually in toward me. When the bobber stops moving I know that the bait is stuck on the bottom. If it comes all the way in I raise the bobber up a few inches (lowering the bait). I like to keep the bait just off the bottom most of the time.
<quote option=““mike_d” pid=‘1095725’ dateline=‘1584368130’”>
Made it to Utah lake state park on Sunday and fished off of the north Jetty. Wind was a little chilly to start off, but it died down mid-day and it made for a beautiful warm day.
Got 3 small bullheads and 1 fat perch all on worms off the bottom. Didn’t get any hits on shrimp (even shrimp tipped with worms), no hits on any plastics, spinners, or anything else that was thrown, and I threw about everything in the tackle box at them.
There were a number of other people out fishing, and I didn’t see or hear anyone catching anything. The only one having great success was the park ranger catching everyone that “forgot” to pay the entrance fees!
Glad to hear you at least got a few tugs. This is mid March and most of the channels are still out in deeper water. If you can find them, they will bite…but not as well as when the water warms to over 60. Those bullheads are usually some of the first fish to get playful…especially if fishing from shore and/or inside a harbor. Water temps will often be a couple of degrees warmer inside a protected (from wind) area and that is enough to get the bullies busy.
You have gotten some good advice on baits and rigs. I will offer my advice as well. Over several decades of fishing for cats in Utah Lake I have yet to find anything they WOULD NOT eat. Well, almost. But if you want to catch more and bigger cats consistently you will do best with “natural” baits…and fresh baits. Nightcrawlers will always work. Ditto for shrimp, chicken livers and prepared dough baits. But the natural foods of most Utah Lake cats are crawdads and the fry of white bass, carp, crappies, bluegills and other species. But they will usually chomp pieces of fish flesh cut from fresh dead carp and white bass. No suckers allowed for bait in Utah Lake.
I like to fish with bobbers too…and do so a lot…especially in late spring and summer when the fish are cruising shallow. They move closer to shore while spawning and then stay there for feeding on the young of other spawning species. And, since there are usually more rocks and stickups in shallower water, a bobber can reduce snagging. But you don’t always have to have the bait right next to the bottom. Channel cats are predatory feeders and will rise up a ways in the water column to ambush live food…or to munch a flavorful bait. And fishing bait on a weighted jig head will help keep your offerings down if the breezes are moving the bobber around.
Keep trying and be patient. Be grateful for whatever you can get this early in the year close to shore. But by May it will be getting wide open. And 24/7 by summer.
This is an excerpt from the 2020 Fishing Guidebook: “Dead mountain sucker, white sucker, Utah sucker, redside shiner, speckled dace, mottled sculpin, flathead minnow (all varieties) Utah chub and common carp may be used as bait in any water where bait is permitted.”
Utah Lake specific regulations out of the guidebook: “Limit 6 largemouth or smallmouthbass (a combined total), only one may be over 12 inches.
No limit on northern pike. Anglers must not release any northern pike they catch. All northern pike must be immediately killed.
All suckers must be immediately released.”
The only known change to this is if you catch a red tagged northern pike. Which you should release and report to the DWR. This was a press release back in February from the DWR.
No mention of sucker not being legal to use as bait. You just can’t catch it there and use it. You have to bring your own.
From the 2020 regs. Utah Lake, Utah County •All suckers must be immediately released.
The language could probably be a bit more inclusive. But the officers who patrol Utah Lake will issue citations if you are using ANY sucker meat. Since it is difficult for most people to distinguish Junies from other suckers, DWR has made it illegal to possess any suckers…even if they are identifiable as Utah suckers from another water.
You are right, not written well. It could be interpreted different ways, like I did. The way it is written now sounds like it implies that you must release what you catch. A person in possession of a fillet of sucker in A Sportsmans Warehouse package clearly didn’t catch it in the lake. A good question to pose to the DWR.
Last year at the flotilla where I normally use half a crawler and a peeled shrimp, I got to Lincoln Beach without my shrimp. Left in a cooler back in my motel room in Lehi. This was Friday afternoon. So I went just a short ways toward Benjamin and put a worm out. While I was tying a hook on my other pole, I caught a 10 lb carp. Right off the bat. So I took a fresh carp felet to my spot and killed them with it. The next morning I went back to my spot in 2 feet of water and had constant action with the cats netting 10 fish before 10 in the morning. When I quit to get my baked beans going. 
I didn’t have a tape to measure them. I made a bump board to start measuring them.
‘Wasatch801’ pid=‘1101270’ dateline=‘1591858685’ wrote:
Nice job sticking with it,Walleye are a great reward.
Nice job you two! We’re not all that familiar with DC, where are the Charleston Flats you mentioned? Always extra fun to catch something on self-made rig isn’t it?
Always nice to have a back up plan, glad it worked out so well for you.
Thanks for the report looks like you had a good afternoon
‘Wasatch801’ pid=‘1101270’ dateline=‘1591858685’ wrote:
My buddy Majja and I fished Jordanelle this morning and Deer Creek in the afternoon and evening. We were on the water fishing by 830am. We fished across from the Marina, over to the Rock Cliff arm. Then we headed over to the highway side and fished around the dam. We didn’t get a single hit. Got back to the ramp and only heard of 3 kokes caught by two other boats.
So we ran over to Deer Creek for Plan B. We bottom bounced for a couple hours before the bite turned on after 3 pm. The bite was slow and intermittent but lasted till shortly before dark. We ended with 9 eyes to about 22 inches. We even had a rainbow on that came off at the net.
Always have a Plan B
Back around 2003, when the walleye were doing really well at Deer Creek, we would haul in Walleye number like this. The size of them was incredible. My son caught his first Walleye around 11pm and was 9 lbs.
it’s great to see reports like this again.