Updated fishing report for southeastern Utah

By Sun Advocate

Fishing success continues to improve just about everywhere. As temperatures cool, fish eat voraciously in preparation for winter. They also move out of deeper waters and may be found close to the shoreline, especially in the early morning.
•Benches Reservoir – Biologist Justin Hart reports that spinners, Rapalas, Jake’s and tube jigs have been very effective for 12-inch rainbow trout.
•Blue Mountains – It is recommend that anglers use spinners and flies in the mornings and evenings and bait during the day for trout at Foy, Monticello, Lloyds, and Blanding 3. Pike fishermen have been trolling with crankbaits at Recapture Reservoir.
•Boulgers Reservoir – Anglers have had luck using spinners and dark grubs and jigs.
•Cleveland Reservoir – Corn flavored PowerBait has been catching 12-inch rainbow trout near the dam.
•Cottonwood Creek – (in Straight Canyon below Joes Valley Reservoir) Aquatics Biologist Craig Walker recommends that anglers try to imitate a bottom-dwelling bait fish for the 12-15 inch brown trout. During a recent survey, Craig found sculpins and large may fly larvae in the stomach contents of trout. Craig suggests turning some rocks over and hooking some of the aquatic insects found.
•Duck Fork Reservoir – Duck Fork has been replanted with Colorado River cutthroat trout and fingerling tiger trout. 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 River cutthroat from being listed as threatened or endangered. If that were to happen, traditional fishing in southeastern Utah could be dramatically impacted. Tiger trout will provide for sport fishing at this water, beginning late next year.
•Electric Lake – Hart reports good fishing with silver Panther Martin spinners near the inlet on the upper end, where water is being pumped into the reservoir. Cutthroat trout are generally around 12 inches. The limit at Electric Lake is four trout which may be taken on any type of bait, lure or fly. In the tributaries, the limit is two trout, which must be caught with artificial flies or lures.
•Ferron Reservoir – Fishing has been good with artificial flies and bait. Anglers may take a bonus limit of four brook trout in addition to the normal trout limit at this reservoir.
•Gigliotti Pond – The Gigliotti Pond was stocked with 2,000 rainbow trout. Some of them approach one-half lb. in size. Fishing has been very good.
•Gooseberry Reservoir – Anglers using worms and marshmallows or salmon eggs and marshmallows have had good luck in the first camping spot.
•Huntington Creek – Special regulations on Huntington Creek are as follows:
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, and the harvest of brown trout is encouraged.
•Huntington North Reservoir – Additional trout will be stocked this month. The bass limit is two; all largemouth bass over 12 inches must be immediately released.
•Huntington Reservoir – near the top of Huntington Canyon) Float tubers using wooly buggers have had good luck. Hart recommends that the bugger be stripped in deep water for best results. The reservoir is closed to the possession of cutthroat trout or trout with cutthroat markings.
Tiger trout have been going around 12 inches. Bait fishermen using salmon eggs and worms off the bottom have been doing well and catching slightly larger (over 12 inches) tiger trout.
•Joes Valley Reservoir – The boat ramp is out of the water. Only hand-launched water craft can be used. In 2003, the trout limit is two. No more than one trout may be over 22 inches. All trout 15-22 inches must be immediately released.
•Lasal Mountains – Conservation Officer Vance Mumford says that anglers can expect fair to good fishing through October. Trout are not rising to flies on the surface anymore, due to cooling temperatures and dwindling insect hatches. Mumford suggests fishing bait or wet flies just off the bottom.
•Lower Fish Creek – Aquatics Hart comments that using a stimulator or grasshopper to float on the surface, followed by a beadhead pheasant tail is an effective fish getter.
He suggests fishing right where the water comes out of the dam, where anglers have been creeling rainbows, cutthroats and brown trout, which generally range from eight-nine inches but may go as long as 14 inches.
•Miller Flat Reservoir – Slow but steady fishing has been reported. Worms are recommended.
•Petes Hole – Good fishing has been reported for anglers using artificial flies or bait.
•Price River/Lower Fish Creek – From approximately one mile below the Scofield Reservoir dam downstream to the confluence with the White River only artificial flies and lures may be used.
•Scofield Reservoir – Sergeant Carl Gramlich reports good fishing for boat anglers with PowerBait. On the southeast side, bank anglers have been using gold Zeke’s, PowerBait, or worms and marshmallows for trout up to 15 inches.
Anglers off the dam have had good luck with a pearl head jig for trout up to 14 inches. In the dam cove, fly fishermen have been using wooly buggers and hare’s ear nymphs. Bait fishermen have been using PowerBait or salmon eggs with a worm.