Southeastern Utah fishing report

By Sun Advocate

•Abajo Mountains – Conservation Officer Randall Scheetz said that fishing has been good at Monticello and Foy reservoirs with flies, spinners and bait. Scheetz indicates that Blanding area reservoirs are slower, due to their lower elevation. Fish these reservoirs in the early morning or evening for best results.
•Cleveland Reservoir – Fishing has been fair, according to Todd Munford of Big Pine Sports in Fairview. Anglers trolling Panther Martins or copper Vibrax spinners are having the best luck. The best bait has been yellow PowerBait.
•Duck Fork Reservoir – Tiger trout are growing faster than expected and promise a good sport fishery in the near future. Only artificial flies or lures may be used.
•Fairview Lakes – Munford reports that fishing has been fair to good from shore with rainbow PowerBait or a nightcrawler/orange marshmallow combination. Float tubers and pontooners have done well by slow-trolling gold Jake’s Spin-a-Lures or fly fishing with sinking line and slow-trolling chartreuse wooly buggers. In the late evening, fly fishermen in waders have had luck casting black leeches.
•Ferron Reservoir – Fishing has been good for rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout. A variety of flies, lures and baits have been used successfully. The trout limit is four, but anglers may take a bonus limit of four brookies.
•Gigliotti Pond – The Division of Wildlife Resources will sponsor a Kids’ Fishing Day at the pond on Saturday, Sept. 25, beginning at 7 a.m. The pond will be freshly stocked with trout prior to the event. Prizes will be awarded by drawing.
•Gooseberry Reservoir – Fishing has been good from shore near the campground for planted rainbow trout. Orange sparkle PowerBait has been the best bait. Fly fishermen have done well in the channels with sinking line and brown leech patterns.
•Huntington Creek – Fishing has picked up consequent to cooler temperatures. Munford recommends a 14 elk hair caddis or a 14 royal wulff. The lower stretches of the creek have offered the best fishing.
•Huntington Reservoir – Fishing success has picked up. Try a straight nightcrawler behind a full bubble from shoreline in the early morning. Trollers have experienced fair success with pop gear and a worm, fished on three colors of leaded line. Fly fishermen have had fair success with sinking line, slow-trolling olive crystal buggers or black or olive leeches or wooly buggers. The reservoir is closed to the possession of cutthroat trout and trout with cutthroat markings.
•Joes Valley Reservoir – Boats continue to be launched. The trout limit is two; only one over 22 inches; all trout from 15-22 inches must be immediately released.
•Miller Flat Reservoir – Fishing has been fair to good with a nightcrawler/salmon egg combo or salmon egg/rainbow PowerBait combo. Fly fishermen should try slow-stripping black leech patterns.
•Potter’s Ponds – Try a fly and bubble in the morning or evening. Renegade and mosquito patterns work best.
•Scofield Reservoir – The best bait continues to be a dead redside shiner behind a half full bubble cast out as far as possible. Shoreline anglers have had best luck in the early morning. Trollers have had improving luck with a gold Jake’s Spin-a-Lure or rainbow or frog needle fish.
Boaters continue to do much better than bank anglers. Fly fishermen should try dark leech patterns, slow-trolled off the bottom. All anglers have had to contend with moss and other aquatic vegetation as the reservoir draws down. Boats cannot be launched from the Madsen Bay unit. The Mountain View unit remains open.