Southeastern Utah Fishing Report

By Sun Advocate

ABAJO MOUNTAINS: (March 21) Conservation Officer Dennis Shumway reports that the ice is off at Blanding three and four reservoirs. He expects spring stocking to occur in the next few weeks. Windy conditions kept most anglers off the water last week.
CLEVELAND RESERVOIR: (March 21) The reservoir is still completely iced over. On March 15, Conservation Officer James Thomas reported new snow.
ELECTRIC LAKE: (March 21) On March 16, Sgt. Stacey Jones reported 100 yards of open water on the north end, but the south end was still iced over and covered with snow. To reach the lake, you’ll need a snowmobile.
HUNTINGTON NORTH RESERVOIR: (March 21) On March 16, Tom Ogden flyfished from a kick boat on the southwest side. In five and a half hours, he caught seven rainbow trout. One was 16-inches long, and the others were 11 to 13 inches. He used medium sinking line with a size four bead head woolly bugger, size eight soft hackle fly and size six bead head olive leech. Black and green were the most effective colors.
HUNTINGTON RESERVOIR: (March 21) This is one of the last reservoirs to open in the spring. It still has well over two feet of ice and is blanketed by slush and snow.
JOES VALLEY RESERVOIR: (March 28) On March 23, Aquatics Biologist Calvin Black fished the rocky east shoreline under the cliffs. He used a dead chub under a bobber to catch a 22-inch, 3-pound splake on his first cast. In addition to the chub and bobber, he worked another rod rigged with a tube jig and chub meat. Most fish seemed to be hanging in shallow water right off submerged boulders. Calvin cast his line across the shoreline rather than out from shore to keep his bait in the zone where most fish were apparently holding. The cutthroat trout he caught ranged from 14-18 inches. Just before 5 p.m., Calvin hooked and landed a 10-pound, 30-inch tiger muskie. During the course of the day, Black landed 12 splake, 10 cutthroat trout, a 5-pound tiger trout and a 30-inch muskie.
LA SAL MOUNTAINS: (March 21) Ken’s Lake and the Rattlesnake ponds have been stocked with rainbow trout. Fishing should be good at these stocked waters.
MILLSITE RESERVOIR & STATE PARK: (March 28) On March 21, Tom Ogden fly fished the upper portion of the reservoir from a kick boat. Tom used both fast and medium sinking lines and tried a variety of wet flies. He found the best success with size 6 bead head patterns that included crystal buggers, soft hackle flies and olive leeches. In five hours, Tom caught five cutthroats, five splake and one rainbow. All of the fish ranged from 12-16 inches long. Frank Sacco fly fished on the same day and reportedly did well with a size 10 brown leech pattern.
SCOFIELD RESERVOIR: (March 28) The shoreline has opened and the ice fishing season is over. It may be several weeks before the ice cap disappears, although the opportunity for bank fishing will occur much sooner.