Southeastern Utah Fishing Report

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GENERAL: Fishing success has slowed down everywhere. This is common during the heat of summer. Fish are less hungry and aggressive. They seem more interested in escaping the heat than in eating or chasing a lure. People are like that, too. We like to be outside in the mornings and evenings, but tend to stay indoors during the heat of the day. To be a successful summer angler, you have to take that into consideration. Fish will retreat from the shoreline as the sun hits the water. They will spend the heat of the day in deep water and venture into shallower water only after the water temperature cools down.
If you must fish during the heat of the day, don’t try to fish from the bank. Use a boat, float tube or other water craft to get into deep water. Make sure your bait, artificial fly or lure goes and stays deep. Trout are a lot more interested in moving than stationary objects, so give your worm, lure or wet fly some life.
In general, fly fishermen outfish other anglers this time of year, because they imitate natural food which is present. Good wet fly patterns include the hare’s ear, leech, crystal bugger, prince nymph, and pheasant tail. Top performing dry fly patterns include the renegade, adams, royal wulff, caddis, and midge. Use smaller size artificial flies in summer. Best of all, match the size and appearance of whatever natural food may be available.
During the heat of summer, pay close attention to time-of-day. Treat your fishing trip much as you would a deer or elk hunt. Be at your fishing hole at first light. Nap or do something else during the heat of the day. Resume fishing at dusk, when you start seeing feeding fish.
Don’t disregard the katydids, horse flies, moths, midges, bees, hornets, damsel flies and grasshoppers around your fishing site. They may prove more effective than anything you have in your tackle box. Hook ’em and dunk ’em.
Plan ahead. Before heading to your favorite fishing hole, read the most current fishing report available. These are available through your local news media or by visiting the DWR Internet Website at: wildlife.utah.gov. Because fishing reports provide information only about the past, don’t consider them as a predictor of your success. Your own experience and judgment will play a greater role in that than anything else.
Benches Reservoir:Try a fly and bubble, separated by two-three feet of tapered leader in the early morning. A size 14 renegade pattern or brown leech has been working well. If you prefer spinners, try a gold Jake’s. DWR Habitat Specialist Dave Rich had good luck with a yellow and black spinner over the weekend.
Blue Mountains: Conservation Officer Randall Scheetz indicates that fishing conditions have not changed since the week before. Fishing at Blanding #3 continues to be good in the evening with bait and spinners, and fair during the middle of the day with bait. The reservoir was stocked with a total of 3,000 rainbow trout this spring, but won’t be restocked again this summer due to concerns about the reservoir drying up. Recapture Reservoir continues to be good for northern pike from a boat trolling crankbaits and is fair from shore with spinners. Foy Reservoir continues to provide good fishing with bait and spinners. Fly fishing has been excellent using nymph patterns. Both Foy and Monticello reservoirs were planted with 4,500 catchable-size rainbow trout last month. Lloyds Lake has been good near the inlet for anglers using salmon eggs.
Boulgers Reservoir: Refer to “Benches Reservoir” for tackle recommendations.
Cleveland Reservoir: Fishing success has been low. Fish very early in the morning for best results. The best baits have been Power Nuggets and PowerBait.Grasshopper fly patterns and gold or silver Panther Martin lures have been effective recently
Duck Fork Reservoir: Duck Fork will be replanted with Colorado River cutthroat trout and fingerling tiger trout this summer. The tiger trout are expected to be large enough to catch in 2004. Duck Fork regulations will protect the Colorado River cutthroat population for future egg collection and fish transplant operations. The DWR hopes that this measure will help keep the Colorado cut from being listed as threatened or endangered.
Electric Lake: Fishing has generally been slow. Refer to the information under “General” for recommended tackle and techniques. The limit at Electric Lake is four trout which may be taken on any type of bait, lure or fly. Tributaries opened on July 12. On the tributaries, the limit is two trout, which must be caught only with artificial flies and lures.
Fairview Lakes:According to Todd Munford of Big Pine Sports in Fairview, this is one of the better places to fish right now. Fishing has been best from late evening into the night. Bait fishermen have been using PowerBait. Fly fishermen have had success with dark leech patterns on sinking line.
Ferron Reservoir:Fishing success has been sporadic. Bait fishermen are using PowerBait and night crawlers. Spincasters have been using bronze Panther Martins or Jake’s. The trout limit is four. However, anglers may take a bonus limit of four brook trout in addition to the normal trout limit. All tributaries open on July 12.
Grassy Lake: (above Joes Valley Reservoir) Fishing continues to be very slow.
Grassy Trail Reservoir:The reservoir is closed to fishing in 2003.
Green River Golf Course Ponds: The limit is four fish in the aggregate for all species.
Huntington Creek:Fly fishing has been fair on the right fork and fair to good on the left fork.
For good surface action, Todd Munford recommends a #14 royal wulff, #12 orange stimulator, or #14 red or yellow humpies. Nymph fishermen should try #16 beadhead pheasant tails, beadhead prince nymphs or large attractor patterns with a nymph dropper, such as a #18 disco midge or RS2. Below the forks, bait fishermen have been using night crawlers or salmon eggs.
On the right fork (from Flood and Engineer’s Canyon upstream to Electric Lake) only artificial flies may be used and the trout limit is two.
On the left fork, only artificial flies and lures may be used.
The harvest of brown trout is encouraged.