Fishing Report for Southeastern Utah

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WHAT’S NEW? Joes Valley reopened to fishing on Dec. 14. New regulations come into effect.
ABAJO AND BLUE MOUNTAINS Conservation Officer Randall Scheetz reports little or no ice fishing activity.
CLEVELAND RESERVOIR is frozen with five or more inches of ice. There has been little, if any, ice fishing.
ELECTRIC LAKE The lake is partially frozen with areas of open water.
HUNTINGTON CREEK. The creek is frozen, except where the current is strong. The first mile below Electric Lake dam remains open. From Flood and Engineer’s Canyon upstream to the dam, only artificial flies may be used. The limit is two fish. On the left fork, only artificial flies and lures may be used. Anglers are encouraged to harvest brown trout there.
HUNTINGTON NORTH RESERVOIR The reservoir is partially frozen, but areas of open water remain.
HUNTINGTON RESERVOIR (near the top of Huntington Canyon) The reservoir is frozen with 16 inches of ice. Most ice anglers fish near the dam. Fishing is best in the early morning.
JOES VALLEY RESERVOIR The reservoir reopens to fishing on Dec. 14. There is very little ice on the reservoir. Louis Berg, Aquatics Manager, encourages anglers to fish with lures rather than bait. “Fishing with lures will improve the survival of released fish,” says Berg. “Research has shown that about 50 percent of fish caught and released with bait subsequently die. Good lure choices at Joes Valley Reservoir include silver-colored spoons and brown, green or white plastic grubs. The limit is two trout. No more than one trout may be over 22 inches. All trout 15-22 inches must be immediately released.
LAKE POWELL The Lake Powell fishing report home page is: http://www.wayneswords.com.DWR Biologist and Project Leader, Wayne Gustaveson, updates fishing conditions at this website weekly. He provides detailed information on locations, tackle and techniques for each species in the lake. In 2002, an unlimited number of striped bass may be kept. The smallmouth bass limit is 20, and the largemouth bass limit is five.
MILLSITE RESERVOIR The reservoir is entirely open. Fly-fishing near the dam from a float tube has been successful recently. Try using a #10 green scud or dark (dark green, black, maroon) leech pattern.
PRICE RIVER is low and clogged with ice and snow.
SCOFIELD RESERVOIR. The reservoir still has open water in the middle and on the north end. Most ice anglers fish the south end of the lake near the east side where the ice is about six inches thick. Small white jigs, meal worms and small, silver-tipped jigs have been working well. Some of the trout are eight inches or smaller, but a number of fish range from 18-22 inches. Fisheries Biologist, Justin Hart fished Scofield this week. He caught a bunch of smaller fish using a small yellow and pink ice jig 18-inches below an attractor spoon. Justin’s partner caught two nice cutthroats with a white jig, tipped with a nightcrawler.