| Scofield Reservoir is a popular place for anglers in the winter. |
The ice fishing season is underway. A blanket of snow covers many lakes. Especially in early winter, exercise extreme caution when venturing out on the ice. Always fish with a buddy. Bring along an emergency rope, floatation device, and rescue blanket. Each angler should carry his own set of ice picks, which can be easily accessed in an emergency.
•Benches Reservoir. The reservoir has 5-8 inches of ice. Ice fishing has been fair with a 1/8 ounce jig head, tipped with a wax or meal worm.
•Boulger Reservoir. Access by snowshoe or sled only. Safe ice. Try fishing near the dam with chartreuse or rainbow PowerBait about six inches off the bottom.
•Cleveland Reservoir. As of Monday, the reservoir still had a little open water near the southwest inlet. Use extreme caution on this reservoir, as water levels fluctuate. Once ice thickens, try a 1/16 ounce tube jig, tipped with a wax worm.
•Electric Lake. The lake was ice-free on Monday, although that could change any day. The north end is accessible by snowshoe or snow machine. Hiking down from the dam, where cutthroat trout generally hold near the bottom, is still possible. Try 1/8 ounce Little Tough Guys in pearl or chartreuse, tipped with a salmon egg or nightcrawler.
•Fairview Lakes. These lakes are ice-covered. Access by snow machine only. No report on angling success or ice thickness.
•Giggliotti Pond. Biologist Justin Hart suggests that parents take their kids fishing on warm afternoons. Good fishing is expected until ice-on. PowerBait, worms, and small spinners are recommended.
•Huntington Creek. Flows are very low below the dam. Conditions are icy and hazardous. Try fly-fishing further downstream for better results, using lil brassies, PTs or number18 copper johns. Below the forks, anglers have had luck with nightcrawlers, although fishing success has been variable.
•Huntington North State Park. The reservoir is open. Aquatics Biologist Craig Walker fished the water this past weekend. He had good luck with spinners, fished with a variable retrieve or jigged. The best action occurred during speed changes or on the fall. Water conditions were turbid. Craig recommends gold or hot-colored lures along points and rip rap.
•Huntington Reservoir.(On the Wasatch Plateau, Sanpete County) Ice is six or more inches thick. Fishing has been fair to good for 12-19 inch tiger trout. Try chartreuse paddle bugs or 1/16 ounce white or pearl Gitzits, tipped with a nightcrawler or meal worm. Fish in 10-13 feet of water one to three cranks off the bottom. Fishing has been best before 11 a.m. The reservoir is closed to the possession of cutthroat trout and trout with cutthroat markings.
•Joes Valley Reservoir. Joes Valley Reservoir remains closed to fishing until Dec. 11 to protect spawning splake.
•Lasal Moutains. Mountain lakes have frozen. Access is very limited. Fishing has been good at Ken’s Lake for 10-12 inch trout with PowerBait, worms and spoons.
•Lower Fish Creek. Outflow from Scofield Reservoir has increased. The creek is icy, but fishable.
•Miller Flat Reservoir. Access by snow machine only. Try fishing about 80 yards west of the dam with a 1/8 oz. split shot and red salmon egg.
•Millsite Reservoir. The reservoir remains open. Fishing has been slow. Try fishing points or rip rap with gold or hot-colored (chartreuse or orange) lures. Retrieve with a variable speed, or allow your jig to fall intermittently.
•Scofield Reservoir. The reservoir has been covered by ice for only a few days. Ice thickness and strength is variable, depending on the location. This week’s cold temperatures are expected to strengthen the ice pack. In the meantime, use extreme caution.