Fishing report for southeastern Utah

By Sun Advocate

Coming this weekend, two kids fishing events which will take place in Emery and Carbon counties. This Saturday an event will take place at the Huntington Game Farm Pond and next Saturday at the Gigliotti Pond in Helper.
•Abajo and Blue Mountains. Conservation officer Randall Scheetz spent the past week at Lake Powell on a law enforcement assignment and was unable to visit local fishing holes. He expects conditions to be the same as last reported. This report included fair fishing for rainbow trout at Blanding number three reservoir; slow fishing at Recapture Reservoir with some pike being taken on Red Devil spinners; good fishing at Foy Reservoir with bait and nymphs.
•Cleveland Reservoir. The reservoir is still covered by ice. Please avoid this reservoir until ice-off, due to dangerous and unstable ice.
•Duck Fork Reservoir. Access remains blocked by snow drifts. This body of water is currently without fish, but will be stocked with small tiger trout and Colorado River cutthroat trout this summer. The tiger trout are expected to be large enough to catch in 2004.
•Electric Lake. Ice conditions are extremely unsafe. Please avoid this reservoir until ice-off.
This year, the limit on fish at Electric Lake is four trout which may be taken on any type of bait, lure or fly. Tributaries are closed until July 12. When tributaries open, the limit will be two trout, but artificial flies and lures must be used.
•Ferron Reservoir. Snow drifts continue to block access. The trout limit is four. However, anglers may take a bonus limit of fur brook trout in addition to the normal trout limit. All tributaries are closed until July 12.
•Gigliotti Pond. On May 10, the DWR will sponsor its annual kids fishing event. The pond will be filled and stocked by that time.
The DWR will provide rods, reels and bait for those who don’t have their own fishing tackle and prizes will be available for participants. Kids 14 years of age and older need a fishing license.
The pond is located on Martin Road in Helper and is handicap accessable.
In 2003, the trout limit is four. All largemouth bass and bluegill must be immediately released.
•Gooseberry Reservoir. The ice is starting to break up. Ice-off is expected within a week or so. All tributaries are closed until July 12.
•Grassy Trail Reservoir. The reservoir is closed to fishing in 2003.
•Green River Golf Course Ponds. The limit is four fish in the aggregate for all species.
•Huntington Creek. Todd Munford from Fairview offers the following fly fishing recommendations. In the fly-only zone, number 16 chamois caddis, number 14 olive/tan hares ears, number 18 red disco midges fished below an attractor pattern such as a number 12 royal wulff or a number 14 griffiths gnat.
At the forks, anglers are encouraged to use olive hares ears or dark leech pattern.
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.
A portion of Crandall Creek above the Genwal Mine is closed to fishing for 2003 to protect Colorado River cutthroat trout.
•Huntington Game Farm Pond. The DWR will sponsor its annual kid fishing event on Saturday, May 3 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. The DWR will provide rods, reels, tackle and bait for those who don’t have their own. Drinks and prizes will also be provided for participants. All anglers 14 years of age and older need a fishing license.
The pond will be restocked shortly before the event. In 2003, the limit is four fish in the aggregate for all species.
•Huntington North Reservoir. Fishing continues to be very slow. 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). The reservoir remains ice-covered.The ice is extremely dangerous. Please avoid this reservoir until ice-off.
Tributaries are closed until July 12. The reservoir is closed to the possession of cutthroat trout or trout with cutthroat markings.
•Joes Valley Reservoir. Fishing continues to be fair to good with dead chubs or chub meat. This past week, fisheries biologist Justin Hart caught and released a dozen splake ranging between one and a half to six pounds. Hart used whole chubs. and says he catches chubs with a piece of worm on a small hook, which he then uses for bait.
Some other anglers have been using large plastic grubs and jigs. Conservation officer Kip Draper reported that he knew of a 27 inch and 29 inch splake which were caught last week.
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 released.
•Ken’s Lake. Conservation officer Edward Meyers urges anglers to fish early in the day for best results. He describes fishing success as pretty good, and recommends PowerBait for shoreline anglers or Rapalas and Jake’s spinners for boaters.
Another stocking will occur next week. In 2003, fishing is prohibited from a boat with a gas engine.
•Lake Powell. The fishing report for this waterway is updated by DWR biologist and project leader, Wayne Gustaveson and is located on the website http://www.wayneswords.com.
Gustaveson provides detailed information on locations, tackle, and techniques for each species in the lake.
•LaSal Mountains. Conservation officer Meyers reports that Dons and Hidden lakes are accessible as well as the LaSal Mountain Loop Road. The gate remains closed to Oowah and Warner.
•Millsite Reservoir. Fishing has slowed down significantly. Officer Draper recommends Velveta cheese, PowerBait, or a marshmallow tipped with a salmon egg.
•Price River/Lower Fish Creek. Angler Tom Ogden reports that flows from Scofield Reservoir have increased, making for better fishing just below the dam. Ogden has been successful with a size 14 beadhead prince nymph. He also says that the brown trout average 13 to 14 inches.
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. The gate to the DWR property remains locked.
•Scofield Reservoir. The reservoir was ice-free as of April 26. Fishing conditions have ranged from fair to excellent.
Ogden reports that bait fishermen continue to out-fish fly fishermen. The angler enjoyed some success on April 28 using a red beadhead leech or green leech.
Todd Munford had luck with a brown leech and brown crystal bugger for 16 to 22 inch trout (mostly rainbows).
Conservation officer Stacey Taggart says that everything works when the wind isn’t blowing. She has been seeing anglers using PowerBait, worms, night crawlers, marshmallows, spinners, and egg sacs.
Biologists Justin Hart and Craig Walker have had good luck with shallow-diving crankbaits for 20 to 22 inch cutthroat trout.
Most anglers are creeling a large percentage of rainbows with cutts in the minority.