| Smaller watercraft can still be launched at Joes Valley Reservoir. The trout limit it two. |
The best fishing of the year is here. October fishing rivals ice-off as the best time to fish. Trout feed hungrily in preparation for winter. They become much more active than during summer months. Fish are also more accessible, because cooling water temperatures enables them to spend more time near the surface and along shorelines. In addition, fish become concentrated due to dropping water levels in streams and reservoirs.
•Abajo Mountains – Conservation Officer Randall Scheetz reports that Blanding three and four have been good with traditional baits, such as PowerBait, marshmallows, salmon eggs, and worms. Foy and Monticello reservoirs have been very good with traditional baits and spinners. Lloyds Lake has been fair with traditional baits off the dam and near the inlet.
•Benches Reservoir – Todd Munford of Big Pine Sports in Fairview reports good fishing with a fly and bubble. Brown leech patterns have been very effective, fished four feet behind a full bubble.
•Cleveland Reservoir – Fishing has been slow, but some nice-sized 16-inch rainbow trout have been creeled. Try yellow sparkle or corn-flavored PowerBait. Fishing has been best on the west shoreline.
Trolling has been good with monofilament line and Kastmasters or Panther Martins.
•Duck Fork Reservoir – Tiger trout are growing faster than expected and promise a good sport fishery in the near future. Aquatics Biologist Justin Hart reminds anglers that the reservoir is closed to the possession of cutthroat trout. Only tiger trout may be harvested. Only artificial flies or lures may be used.
•Electric Lake – Fishing has been fair. Some nice-sized trout are being caught with a nightcrawler/salmon egg combination or rainbow PowerBait. Fish off points for best results. Fly fishing has been fair from pontoons and tubes, trolling olive or black leech patterns.
•Fairview Lakes – The lake water level is very low. Fishing has been good with rainbow PowerBait or chartreuse marshmallows, according to Munford. Fly fishing has been good with sinking line and chartreuse, brown or gold wooly buggers or leech patterns.
•Ferron Reservoir – Fishing continues to be 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.
•Gooseberry Reservoir – Fishing has been fair with orange sparkle PowerBait or Zeke’s orange garlic cheese. The best fishing has been along the west shore. Fly fishing from tubes and pontoons has been fair on the north end near the dam. Use sinking line, and slow-troll brown leech patterns.
•Huntington Creek – Munford indicates that fly fishing has been picking up in the mid-sections of the creek with brown leech patterns drifted and stripped slowly through the deeper riffles and pools. Fish have been spooky and hard-to-catch in the fly-only zone. The best patterns have been the elk hair caddis and royal wulff. Fishing below the forks has been good with nightcrawlers, drifted into the deeper pools or along riffle tail-ends.
•Huntington Reservoir – (on the mountain) The best bank fishing has been across from the dam along the west shoreline. Try to cast out as far as possible with a full bubble and straight nightcrawler. Move up and down the shoreline to find fish. Jake’s Spin-a-Lures have been the most effective spinner. Fly fishermen have had fair success from tubes and pontoons with sinking line, slow-trolling dark leeches or wooly buggers.
The reservoir is closed to the possession of cutthroat trout and trout with cutthroat markings.
•Huntington North Reservoir – Anglers have had good success, trolling with pop gear and leaded line with a nightcrawler.
•Joes Valley Reservoir – Smaller watercraft can still be launched.
The trout limit is two; only one over 22 inches; all trout from 15-22 inches must be immediately released.
•Lasal Mountains – Conservation Officer Joe Nicholson reports that Taylor’s Creek has been good for brook trout up to 10 inches with worms. Nicholson spoke with some anglers who had been fishing the pond at the Miner’s Basin trailhead. They said fishing had been excellent.
Fishing has been fair at Dark Canyon, and has been slow at Ken’s Lake. Oowah has provided good fishing with PowerBait, worms, Mepps or spoons. Fish average eight to 12 inches with an occasional fish weighing up to two pounds.
•Miller Flat Reservoir – Some nice 14-inch rainbow trout continue to be taken with red salmon eggs or chartreuse PowerBait. Fly fishermen should try slow-stripping black leech patterns.
•Potter’s Ponds – Best fishing has been with a fly and bubble. Try a renegade or mosquito pattern. Rainbow PowerBait has been the most effective bait.
•Scofield Reservoir – The lake level is very low. The south and north ends are not fishable. The best shore fishing has been on the east side, south of the dam cove. Cast out as far as possible for best results. The best baits have been rainbow or orange PowerBait or nightcrawlers in combination with a chartreuse marshmallow.
Trolling has been fair to good north of the island with two colors of leaded line and pop gear with a nightcrawler. Using this technique, Munford caught a 9 lb. 12 oz. 25-inch rainbow trout earlier this month. Fly fishermen have been using dark leech patterns, slow-trolled off the bottom. Boats cannot be launched from the Madsen Bay unit. The Mountain View unit remains open.