Southeastern Utah Fishing Report

By Sun Advocate

ABAJO MOUNTAINS: (May 03) Conservation Officer Dennis Shumway reports that the fishing in San Juan County is heating up. Fishing is good for pike and bass at Recapture Reservoir. One angler caught a 4-pound, 11-ounce largemouth bass. Try using traditional bass lures. On April 28, Shumway caught several 18- to 22-inch pike by jigging a gold-colored spinner.
Blanding 3 & 4, Loyds Lake, Monticello Lake and Foy Reservoir were all stocked with rainbow trout within the last two weeks. Shumway says that fishing has been pretty hot at these waters. Try using spinners, PowerBait, worms or marshmallows.
The water levels at Recapture Reservoir, Blanding 3 and Loyds Lake are very low. If the summer is hot and dry, there could be a fish kill. Take advantage of the good fishing while it lasts.
BENCHES POND: (May 03) There is still an ice cap covering the pond. Please wait to fish until ice-off.
BOULGER RESERVOIR: (May 03) Anglers need to wait until ice-off to fish Boulger.
CARBON COUNTY COMMUNITY FISHING POND: (May 20) The pond was stocked several weeks ago for the first time this spring. Biologists affixed some of the stocked fish with the Fish for Million$ tags, sponsored by Cabela’s. Sign up to enter the contest by visiting Cabelas.com/fishformillions.
CLEVELAND RESERVOIR: (May 20) The reservoir is now open. Shoreline fishing has been good with traditional baits. Anglers have had success with soft hackle flies and wooly bugger patterns. Rainbow and cutthroat trout caught at the reservoir range from 14 to 17 inches.
DUCK FORK RESERVOIR: (May 03) The U.S. Forest Service access gate is closed. Access to the reservoir is blocked.
ELECTRIC LAKE: (May 20) The reservoir is open. Last week, 20,000 fingerling kokanee salmon were stocked. Shoreline and boat fishermen have had good luck with chub meat or minnows. Redside shiners are available in the lake and very effective. Fly fishermen should try soft hackle flies, wooly buggers or leech patterns.
FERRON CREEK: (May 03) The access road has been closed by the U.S. Forest Service.
FERRON RESERVOIR: (May 20) The U.S. Forest Service gate, which allows access to the reservoir, remains locked.
GIGLIOTTI POND: (May 20) The pond has been stocked. Some of the stocked fish have been tagged with Cabela’s Fish for Million$ tags. See Cabelas.com/fishformillions for details on the contest.
GOOSEBERRY RESERVOIR: (May 03) You can access the reservoir with a snow machine, but the gate will be closed until sometime after Memorial Day weekend.
HUNTINGTON CREEK: (May 20) The Seeley Fire killed all fish in the creek. Replanting will not occur until hillsides re-vegetate and banks are stabilized.
HUNTINGTON NORTH RESERVOIR: (May 10) On May 9, DWR aquatics biologists pulled gill nets as part of their annual sampling regimen. They found multiple age classes of wipers, which included several 5-pound fish. That was encouraging since the wipers were only four years old. One largemouth bass weighed in at five pounds. A number of 18- to 20-inch rainbow trout were also caught.
HUNTINGTON RESERVOIR: (May 20) Huntington Reservoir remains mostly iced over, with several feet of open water along the shoreline. It may be a week before there will be enough open water for casting into deep areas.
JOES VALLEY RESERVOIR: (May 20) Aquatics Biologist Calvin Black says that cutthroat trout and splake will be found in shallow water close to shore. Use chub meat for the best action. The majority of splake and cutthroats range from 10 to 17 inches. However, a gill net survey conducted this week turned up several 5- to 7-pound splake. The surveyors also caught 12 tiger muskies ranging from 28 to 36 inches. The 36-inch musky weighed 12 pounds. Perhaps the biggest surprise for biologists was a 6-pound, 24-inch tiger trout that turned up in one net.
LA SAL MOUNTAINS: (May 03) Most of the La Sal lakes remain inaccessible, with the possible exception of Hidden Lake. Division Director Sheehan has ordered an emergency change in fishing regulations at Kens Lake that goes into effect on May 13. The change will increase the daily bag limit for rainbow trout to 8 fish. The limit is being temporarily liberalized to allow anglers to harvest rainbow trout that might otherwise be lost due to drought and the resultant low water levels. The change will remain in effect until January 2014.
MILLER FLAT RESERVOIR: (May 03) The road from Cleveland to Joes Valley will remain closed until after Memorial Day weekend, blocking access to the reservoir.
MILLSITE RESERVOIR & STATE PARK: (May 20) Last week, Tom Ogden and Perry Bunderson caught and released 50 trout in 4.5 hours. These trout ranged from 12 to 19 inches. All fish were caught on sizes six to eight wooly bugger, leech and soft hackle fly patterns.
Bait casters have been using chub meat, egg sacs, night crawlers and PowerBait.
POTTERS PONDS: (May 03) The U.S. Forest Service road is closed, blocking access to the ponds.
RIGHT FORK OF HUNTINGTON CREEK: (May 03) The 2012 Seeley Fire killed all fish in the creek. Fish won’t be stocked until the vegetative cover is restored and the stream banks are stabilized.
SCOFIELD RESERVOIR: (May 20) A gill net survey this week indicated that the reservoir holds some big fish. One netted tiger trout weighed 8.5 pounds and measured 29 inches. One cutthroat weighed six pounds and measured 24.5 inches. Gill nets indicated many small trout in the 10- to 15-inch range. There also seem to be an age class of cutthroats ranging from 18 to 22 inches. Anglers have reported taking some 24- to 28-inch tiger trout.
WILLOW LAKE: (May 20) The U.S. Forest Service access gate remains locked.
WRIGLEY SPRINGS RESERVOIR: (May 20) Access is open, and the pond is ice-free. Try night crawlers and PowerBait.