Southeastern Utah fishing report for late June-early July

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During the heat of summer, it’s best to fish in the early morning or late evening. Like people, trout try to stay out of the sun and avoid hot daytime temperatures. Fly fishermen do best when they attempt to “match the hatch.” Baitcasters should also try to mimic natural foods, such as minnows, cicadas, grasshoppers, etc. Nightcrawlers are probably the best all-around bait. Before fishing, read the latest fishing report on the DWR website at www.wildlife.utah.gov
•Benches Reservoir. Rainbow PowerBait has been the best commercial cheese bait. Fly fishermen should take along brown leeches and sinking line. Tributaries are closed to fishing until July 8.
•Boulger Reservoir. Rainbow glitter PowerBait has been effective recently for pan-size fish. Tributaries are closed to fishing until July 8.
•Cleveland Reservoir. Try a salmon egg-nightcrawler combo off the west shoreline. Fly fishermen should consider a number 10 green scud or number eight wooly bugger. The reservoir was restocked this week.
•Electric Lake. Conservation Officer Chris Rhea recommends worms. Brown or black leech patterns are recommended for fly fishermen. Gold Jake’s Spin-A-Lures on the north side of the lake are recommended for spincasters. Trout range from 12-14 inches. The boat ramp is useable. Tributaries are closed to fishing until July 8.
•Ferron Reservoir. The road is dry, although fishing has been poor. Nightcrawlers have been slightly better than other baits. Tributaries are closed to fishing until July 8. Four brook trout may be taken in addition to the normal limit of four trout.
•Gigliotti Pond. Casey Olson fished Gigliotti and caught six fish in an hour with live grasshoppers and worms. This year, anglers don’t have to release bass or bluegill, which may be harvested along with trout. A total of four fish may be taken in aggregate.
•Grassy Lake. Good fishing has been reported for anglers using worms or PowerBait in chartreuse or rainbow colors. Green garlic cheese was also effective.
•Huntington Creek. Fly fishing has been good in the fly-only zone with San Juan worms, elk hair caddis, or beadhead prince nymphs. Whirling disease has been found in the creek recently. In order to prevent its spread to other drainages, anglers are encouraged to take precautions.
•Mammoth Reservoir. One report came in recommending salmon eggs. Fishing was good over the weekend. The DWR continues to recommend a whole worm in front of a full bubble, jigged on the retrieve. Spincasters have done well with silver Jake’s Spin-A-Lures. Fly fishermen have had good luck with dark leeches or wooly buggers. Closed to the possession of cutthroat trout or trout with cutthroat markings. Tributaries are closed to fishing until July 8.
•Joes Valley Reservoir. Mixed reports have come in. Aquatics Biologist Justin Hart recommends that anglers fish points around inlets such as Lowry Water and Seeley Creek. Dedicated hunter Clinton Bentley did a creel survey and recommends sucker meat, chubs or African worms, available at the marina. Clint reported a 14-lb. splake being caught last week in 25 feet of water. The trout limit is two. Only one may be over 22 inches. All trout between 15-22 inches must be immediately released.
DWR fisheries biologists have finished netting Utah chubs for the year. More than 20,000 pounds of chubs have been removed from the reservoir to make room for more trout. Please don’t use live minnows as bait. That’s how Joes Valley got the chub problem in the first place.
•Lower Fish Creek. The gate near Highway 6 is open and access to lower Fish Creek is mostly dry. Try using a live cicada on your hook in the area below the dam. Justin Hart says the creek has been fishing well with small jigs and crankbaits. Fly fishing with a number of patterns has been excellent. Try a beadhead hares ear, beadhead prince nymph, wooly bugger or elk hair caddis. Most trout range between 15-18 inches.
•Marys Lake. Clinton Bentley reported good fishing. He recommends nightcrawlers or a Krocodile lure for the rainbow trout.
•Miller Flat Reservoir. Clinton Bentley described fishing as good for baitcasters using orange or green PowerBait floated just off the bottom. Fly fishermen might try a number eight black leech with a gold rib.
•Petes Hole. Access is open. One angler using a yellow Panther Martin with black dots caught a trout with almost every cast last weekend. Nightcrawlers and rainbow PowerBait are recommended baits. One fly fishermen did well with a brown wooly bugger from a float tube for tiger trout. Rainbow trout range from 10-14 inches.
•Potters Ponds. These ponds are now accessible. Fishing success has been fair with baits and a double renegade fly pattern.
•Scofield Reservoir. Fly fisherman Tom Ogden had the best success recently with a number eight beadhead olive leech in shallow water. In four hours, Tom caught and released 40 fish. Conservation Officer Chris Rhea described fishing as slow for shoreline anglers, but fair or better for boats, still-fishing with baits. All tributaries are closed to protect spawning cutthroat trout until July 8.
•Soup Bowl. This small pond is accessible and open. Nightcrawlers and rainbow PowerBait are recommended.
•Spinners Reservoir. The road is accessible, but it’s unknown if any fish survived the winter.
•Willow Lake. Mixed reports have come in. Randall Stilson reported slow fishing. Justin Hart talked to an angler who fished the north side and reported fast fishing for tiger trout up to 14 inches. He used worms.