Southeastern Utah Fishing Report

By Sun Advocate

ABAJO MOUNTAINS: (January 03) Conservation Officer Dennis Shumway says that you can’t really fish in San Juan County right now. All of the reservoirs are frozen, but the ice is only an inch or two thick. Shumway hasn’t seen anyone fishing in over a month.
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CLEVELAND RESERVOIR: (January 03) On Jan. 2, several anglers reported slow fishing. If you head to Cleveland Reservoir, prepare for a long, snowy hike from the highway.
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ELECTRIC LAKE: (January 03) Fishing is slow. Most anglers are fishing near the dam. On the north end, you’ll need a snow machine to access the lake.
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HUNTINGTON NORTH RESERVOIR: (January 03) Joe Christensen and two friends reported terrible fishing. The group caught two fish total on Jan. 1.
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HUNTINGTON RESERVOIR: (January 03) Fishing is erratic. On Dec. 23, Tony Wright reeled in a trout – including an 18- and a 20-inch tiger trout – every two minutes for 45 minutes using a Kastmaster tipped with a mealworm. Tony fished again on Jan. 1, but he and a friend only caught one fish in two hours.
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JOES VALLEY RESERVOIR: (January 03) Conservation officers say that the ice is still unsafe. The ice is less than three inches thick.
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MILLSITE RESERVOIR & STATE PARK: (January 03) On Jan. 2, Joe Christensen and a friend caught 25 fish in five hours – including splake, cutthroat and rainbow trout. They used white tube jigs tipped with redside shiners. Joe fished in 14 feet of water, where the ice was seven inches thick. You can find open water in the middle of the reservoir. The ice thickness varies, which means you should keep your eyes out for potentially hazardous conditions. Please practice all ice fishing safety precautions.
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SCOFIELD RESERVOIR: (January 03) On Dec. 28, several hundred anglers competed to catch the biggest rainbow trout in the annual fishing tournament. James Jones of Huntington won with a rainbow that measured just over 17 inches. Fishing is slow to good using a wide variety of baits. Try using jig heads tipped with shrimp, minnows or chub meat; jigs or tube jigs tipped with nightcrawlers; PowerBait; meal worms or wax worms. Several anglers recommend the colors chartreuse and green. Anglers fishing the south end of the reservoir have been catching a lot of chubs.
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