As the days grow longer and warmer, more fishermen will be heading for the lakes and reservoirs to begin the regular fishing season. Currently, the fist are biting and just waiting for that tastey morsal. The ice fishing season is officially over in the southeastern region. As the ice leaves the lakes and reservoirs, anglers will find some of the best fishing of the year.
•Abajo Mountains. Conservation officer Randall Scheetz reports that trout fishing, near the dam at Recapture Reservoir, was fair with green PowerBait and marshmallows over the weekend. Aquatics manager, Louis Berg suggests that Recapture anglers target northern pike. Berg says a large, red and white Daredevil is a good lure choice. Blanding City notified the division that Recapture Reservoir may be totally drained this year to meet irrigation needs, so anglers are encouraged to harvest the fish they catch. Officer Scheetz reports good fishing at Blanding number four with PowerBait and silver spinners. Scheetz describes Blanding number three as fair to good with spinners and PowerBait. Berg notes that Blanding three will be heavily stocked prior to April 9 and about every two weeks thereafter. Berg expects very good fishing at Blanding three as many more fish will be stocked to compensate for the draining of Blanding four.
•Huntington Creek. Ice has left Huntington Creek. Louis Berg, aquatics manager suggests that now is the time to visit this stream, before spring run-off increases flows and muddies the water. Harvest of brown trout on the left fork is encouraged, where the limit is four fish. On the left fork, fish must be taken with artificial flies or lures. On the right fork, from Flood and Engineer’s Canyon upstream to Electric Lake dam, only two trout may be taken and artificial flies must be used. No bait or lures are allowed in this section.
•Huntington Game Farm Pond. Louis Berg reports good to excellent fishing for recently stocked rainbow and albino (yellow) rainbow trout with flies and spinners. Traditional baits should also work well. There was some winterkill of bass and bluegill, but its extent is unknown. At the pond, the bluegill limit is 10. The bass limit is four, but only one bass larger than 15 inches. Limits are the same for all licensed anglers and unlicensed anglers under 14 years of age.
•Huntington North Reservoir (near the city of Huntington). Aquatics manager, Louis Berg reports good to excellent fishing for recently-stocked brown trout and albino (yellow) rainbow trout with jigs and spinners. Some nice bass are also biting on jigs. This month will offer some of the best fishing of the year. At Huntington North, the largemouth bass limit is two. All bass over 12 inches must be immediately released.
•Huntington Reservoir (near the top of Huntington Canyon). The reservoir is ice-covered, but unsafe. Release of tiger trout is encouraged so that fish can grow larger. Any brown trout caught should be harvested. The reservoir is closed to the possession of cutthroat trout and trout with cutthroat markings.
•Joes Valley Reservoir. Louis Berg expects the ice to be gone by April 8. Anglers are encouraged to release all larger splake for control of the abundant Utah chub population. The splake limit is two fish. All splake between 15-20 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.
•Lasal Mountains. Conservation officer Edward Meyers reports good to very good fishing for planted trout at Ken’s Lake. He recommends traditional baits and lures. Meyers indicates that the U.S. Forest Service gates are locked to Oowah and Warner lakes. The road to Hidden Lake is passable but muddy in many places. Hidden Lake is still ice-covered, but should be open soon.
•Lower Fish Creek. Access to the middle portion of the stream on DWR property is closed until late spring. Only artificial flies or lures can be used below the railroad bridge, which is about one mile below the dam.
•Millsite Reservoir. Reports have come in, describing fishing success as anywhere between fair and excellent. Flies, spinners and traditional baits are recommended.
•Scofield Reservoir. The best fishing of the year will occur while the ice is retreating from the shoreline, and that should begin very soon.
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