Fishing report for southeastern Utah

By Sun Advocate

All ice anglers must use caution. Ice conditions at many of the southeastern Utah reservoirs and lakes are changing rapidly with the onset of spring. The risks associated with ice fishing increase considerably from one week to the next.
Don’t ice fish alone and make sure to take along rescue equipment, including a strong rope, floatation device, ice picks, and a cell phone.
•Abajo and Blue Mountains. Ice fishing is over in San Juan County.
•Cleveland Reservoir. Please avoid this reservoir until ice-off. The ice is dangerous and unpredictable.
•Duck Fork Reservoir. This body of water is fishless, but will be stocked with small tiger trout and Colorado River cutthroat in summer. The tiger trout are expected to be large enough to catch in 2004.
•Electric Lake. No report on fishing success or ice conditions. Tributaries will be closed until July 12. When tributaries open, the limit will be two trout; and artificial flies and lures must be used.
Electric Lake itself has no special regulations this year. The limit will be four trout. No tackle restrictions.
•Ferron Reservoir. Recent snowstorms have blocked access. The trout limit is four. However, anglers may take a bonus limit of four brook trout in addition to the normal trout limit. All tributaries are closed until July 12.
•Gigliotti Pond. Anglers should probably wait until May, when restocking will occur. In 2003, the trout limit will be four fish. All largemouth bass and bluegill must be immediately released.
•Gooseberry Reservoir. Little or no ice fishing has been taking place. No information on fishing success. All tributaries are closed until July 12.
•Grassy Trail Reservoir. The reservoir is closed to fishing in 2003.
•Green River Golf Course Ponds. No report on angling success. The limit is four fish in the aggregate for all species.
•Huntington Creek. Flows are low. A lot of stretches have open water.
Fly fisherman, Tom Ogden, recommends a Hare’s Ear nymph or size 12 to 14 Montana nymph. Most fish are in the 10 to 12 inch range.
On the right fork (from Flood and Engineer’s Canyon upstream to Electric Lake) only artificial flies may be used. The trout limit is two.
On the left fork, only artificial flies and lures may be used. The harvest of brown trout is encouraged. Crandall Creek, which empties into Huntington Creek, is closed to fishing for 2003 to protect a population of pure Colorado River cutthroat trout.
•Huntington Game Farm Pond. Anglers are encouraged to wait until the pond is restocked in May.
In 2003, the limit will be four fish in the aggregate for all species.
•Huntington North Reservoir. The ice pack is receding and extremely dangerous. There is open water along the shoreline. Anglers are urged to wait until ice-off.
In 2003, the bass limit is two; all largemouth bass over 12 inches must be immediately released.
•Huntington Reservoir (near the top of Huntington Canyon). This reservoir is extremely dangerous, due to the potential for buckling and subsidence of the ice pack. Please stay off! Anglers are urged to wait until ice-off, before resuming fishing.
Tributaries are closed until July 12. The reservoir is closed to the possession of cutthroat trout or trout with cutthroat markings.
•Joes Valley Reservoir. Ice anglers are encouraged to be very cautious, due to destabilizing ice conditions as a result of water being drawn.
In 2003, the trout limit is two. No more than one trout may be over 22 inches. All trout 15 to 22 inches must be immediately released.
•Ken’s Lake. According to conservation officer, Ed Meyers, Ken’s Lake is rising and ice-free.
After being nearly drained last fall, the lake is now quite full. Meyers expects that a number of trout survived the draw down and winter. Stocking will occur in April or May. In 2003, fishing is prohibited from a boat with a gas engine.
•LaSal Mountains. Access roads remain closed to Warner and Oowah lakes, reports Ed Meyers, DWR conservation officer.
Recent storms have probably made access to other lakes impossible.
•Millsite Reservoir. The reservoir is ice-free. Justin Hart, DWR fisheries biologist, had some luck catching 12-inch splake last weekend with pumpkin-colored grubs.
•Price River. No report on angling success. Lower Fish Creek and the Price River remain partially frozen. Flows are low. From the railroad bridge 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. Conservation officer Stacey Taggart reports windy, frigid conditions at Scofield and slow fishing success with all types of tackle.
Ice is 15 to 20 inches thick. Tributaries are closed until July 12.
•Straight Canyon (Cottonwood Creek).Angler Tom Ogden recommends a number 12 Hare’s Ear.
•Lake Powell. The Lake Powell fishing report was last updated Feb. 19 by Wayne Gustaveson, DWR Lake Powell project leader, provides the following report.
The lake elevation is 3,612 M.S.L. and the water temperature is 47 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Walleye are in prespawn mode. They spawn along clean rock areas but also run to current. Perhaps the very best place to fish for walleye would be the backwaters near the Colorado River as it enters Lake Powell near Hite. The main channel, North Wash, Trachyte, White and Farleys are the prime spots. Rock is the best substrate.
The best bait is the lowly worm. Fish very slowly maintaining constant bottom contact with a worm harness, bottom bouncer or plastic grub with a piece of worm affixed to sweeten the bite. Let the bait rest for a few moments between movements so finicky walleye can make up their mind to bite. An occasional bass or striper may be caught but walleye are the most active fish this time of year.
It is more likely to get less than five fish during a normal fishing trip but it does get one out of the house on a pleasant afternoon.