During the heat of summer, anglers need to be more attentive to time-of-day. Fish only in the early morning or late evening for best results. Also fish in deeper water and pay attention to any natural foods the fish may be eating.
At this time of year, Cicadas, moths, midges, bees, hornets, damsel flies and grasshoppers are very abundant. Hook one of them and float it downstream. They make effective fish-getters.
Besides hooking natural baits, use artificial flies to imitate insects. Artificial ants, mosquitoes, mayflies, midges, stone flies, gnats and nymphs are very effective this time of year.
Before heading to a favorite fishing hole, read the most current fishing report. These are available through the Sun Advocate or by visiting the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Internet website at www.wildlife.gov.
•Benches Reservoir. Early morning fishing is most productive. The most effective offering is an artificial fly and bubble. A size 14 renegade pattern is recommended. Brown leech patterns work as well. Gold Jake’s have been the most effective spinners. Rainbow PowerBait has been the most popular bait.
•Blue Mountains. Fishing at Blanding number three continues to be good in the evening with bait and spinners, and fair during the middle of the day with bait.
The reservoir was stocked with a total of 3,000 rainbow trout this spring, but won’t be restocked again this summer due to concerns about the reservoir drying up.
Recapture Reservoir continues to be good for northern pike from a boat trolling crankbaits and is fair from shore with spinners. Foy Reservoir continues to provide good fishing with bait and spinners. Fly fishing has been excellent using nymph patterns.
Both Foy and Monticello reservoirs were planted with 4,500 catchable-size rainbow trout last month.
Lloyds Lake has been good near the inlet for anglers using salmon eggs.
•Cleveland Reservoir. Fishing success has been low.Fish very early in the morning for best results.
The best baits have been Power Nuggets and PowerBait. Grasshopper fly patterns and gold or silver Panther Martin lures have been effective recently.
In June, the reservoir was planted with 4,000 catchable-size rainbow trout. No further stocking will occur this year, due to concerns about the reservoir drying up.
•Duck Fork Reservoir.Duck Fork will be replanted with Colorado River cutthroat trout and fingerling tiger trout this summer. The tiger trout are expected to be large enough to catch in 2004.
Duck Fork regulations will protect the Colorado River cutthroat population for future egg collection and fish transplant operations. The DWR hopes that this measure will help keep the Colorado cut from being listed as threatened or endangered.
•Electric Lake. Small boats can be hand-carried to the water. Trolling anglers have had fair success with brass Vibrax lures, gold and red Jake’s, or frog flatfish. Bait fishermen have had fair success with night crawlers tipped with a red salmon egg or Power Egg. Fly fishermen have been using red crystal buggers on sinking line.
The limit at Electric Lake is four trout which may be taken on any type of bait, lure or fly. Tributaries opened July 12, where the limit is two trout, which must be caught with artificial flies and lures only.
•Ferron Reservoir. The water level is very low, due to dam repair work. Fishing was good over the holiday weekend for bait fishermen using worms or PowerBait. One very successful fisherman jigged a green neon marshmallow near the bottom with a slip sinker.
The reservoir was stocked with 3,000, nine to10 inch rainbow trout in June. 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 opened July 12.
•Gigliotti Pond. Trout fishing is poor, although catch-and-release fishing for bluegill and bass has been fair.
The Castle Country Bass Masters and DWR continue to be concerned about hooking mortality of bass and bluegill. If anglers hook a bass or bluegill deeply, please cut the line and release the fish. An attempt to dislodge a deeply set hook will kill the fish.
•Gooseberry Reservoir. Angler Munford reports fair fishing around the main campground and west shore with a night crawler behind a full bubble or PowerBait. Fly fishing is improving for anglers using damsel fly imitations. Brown leeches or olive/green crystal buggers are also effective. All tributaries opened July 12.
•Huntington Creek. Fly fishing has been fair on the right fork and fair to good on the left fork.
For good surface action, Munford recommends a number 14 royal wulff, number 12 orange stimulator, or number 14 red or yellow humpies. Nymph fishermen should try number 16 beadhead pheasant tails, beadhead prince nymphs or large attractor patterns with a nymph dropper, such as a number 18 disco midge.
Below the forks, bait fishermen have been using night crawlers or salmon eggs.
On the right fork (from Flood and Engineer’s Canyon upstream to Electric Lake) only artificial flies may be used and the trout limit is two.
On the left fork, only artificial flies and lures may be used. The harvest of brown trout is encouraged.
•Huntington Game Farm Pond. Fishing success is poor. No more trout will be stocked until next May.
•Huntington North Reservoir. Trout fishing continues to be slow. More trout will be stocked in October. Water recreationalists dominate the water for now.
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). Fishing continues to be slow. The tiger trout are in deep water, but may be caught with dark lures, crystal buggers or leeches.
Munford recommends trolling or retrieving a straight night crawler in deep water behind a full bubble with four feet of leader. Tributaries opened July 12. The reservoir is closed to the possession of cutthroat trout or trout with cutthroat markings.
•Joes Valley Reservoir. The boat ramp is still open and the water level is good for boating. Fishing success has dropped off.
The splake are holding in at least 30 feet of water. In the recent past, boat anglers have had fair success jigging three to four inch white grubs, tipped with a piece of chub meat.
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.
•Kens Lake. The lake is full and continues to receive some fishing pressure. The lake is being used by a lot of water recreationalists, so fish very early or very late in the day.
This lake was planted with 4,000, nine to 10 inch rainbow trout this spring. No further stocking will occur this year.
•Lake Powell. The Lake Powell fishing report home page is: http://www.wayneswords.com. DWR biologist and project leader, Wayne Gustaveson, updates fishing conditions at this website weekly. He provides detailed information on locations, tackle, and techniques for each species in the lake.
•LaSal Mountains. All mountain lakes offer fair to good fishing. Flies and lures tend to be very successful in the early morning or late evening. Recommended flies include ants, beetles and wooly worms. Worms and salmon eggs seem to be the most popular baits.
•Mary’s Lake. This water was stocked in June with its summer allotment of 1,200 rainbow trout, but has received very little fishing pressure all summer.
•Miller Flat Reservoir. Fishing success picked up this past weekend. Bait fishermen had good luck with Velveeta cheese or salmon eggs. Effective fly patterns have been the mosquito, double renegade, renegade and brown or purple leech patterns. The most popular bait continues to be PowerBait, which is most effective in the early morning or evening.
The reservoir was stocked in June with its total annual allotment of 3,000 catchable-size rainbow trout.
•Millsite Reservoir. There has been a lot of water recreationalists and few anglers. Velveeta cheese continues to be the most effective bait. Fish in the early morning for best results.
•Pete’s Hole. Fishing was good over the weekend, especially with a fly and bubble. Try renegades, royal coachmen, beadhead prince nymphs or a roostertail fly with red and gold flashing. Worms or PowerBait were moderately productive.
In June, Pete’s was stocked with 4,800 catchable rainbow trout.
•Potter’s Ponds. Fishing has been fair. DWR officials recommend a fly and bubble in the morning or evening using renegades, royal coachmen or Scofield special patterns. Velveeta cheese seems to be the most popular bait.
Both ponds were planted with 5,600 rainbow trout apiece in June.
•Scofield Reservoir. Conservation officer Stacey Taggart indicates that a large midge hatch has made shoreline fishing difficult. Redside shiners are spawning near shore which has also dampened fishing success. Dead shiners continue to be the best bait. These may be caught at the reservoir, using minnow traps.
Munford reports that fly fishermen have had some success with green/olive crystal buggers along the west shore. He describes trolling as fair with leaded line and orange/pearl triple teasers, pop gear and a worm, or teeny crayfish lures.
All tributaries opened July 12. There are no special regulations on fishing tributaries. The statewide trout limit applies.
•Soup Bowl. Fishing success was good over the weekend with a fly and bubble. The pond was stocked in June with its annual allotment of 1,500 rainbow trout.
•Straight Creek. Try using live baits, such as Cicadas and grasshoppers.
•Willow Lake. Good fishing was had over the weekend. Effective fish-getters include gold Jake’s, worms and PowerBait. Flies and a bubble continue to be the most successful offering.
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