| Anglers of all ages are hitting Utah waters for incredible spring fishing. |
•Benches Reservoir. Ice is coming off this reservoir. It may be ice-free by the weekend. Stocking will occur shortly. Todd Munford of Fairview recommends chartreuse or rainbow PowerBait, or a gold Jake’s Spin-a-Lure.
•Blue Mountains. Fishing continues to be good at Blanding number three with PowerBait. Fishing at Recapture Reservoir has been slow for rainbow trout, but is picking up for northern pike. Most pike are being caught by trolling crankbaits.
Foy Reservoir has been good for rainbow and brook trout using baits and spinners.
•Boulgers Reservoir. The ice is melting. Ice-off is imminent. Stocking will soon occur. Try using chartreuse or rainbow PowerBait or gold Jake’s Spin-a-Lures.
•Cleveland Reservoir. The reservoir is still covered by ice. Please avoid this reservoir until ice-off.
•Duck Fork Reservoir. 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. The shoreline is open and fishable. DWR representative Carl Gramlich suggests fishing the lower reaches near the dam, where access is much easier. Fly fishermen should try brown leech patterns.
Near the inlet on the upper side of the reservoir, try a red salmon egg/night crawler combo.
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. 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. Fishing continues to be good. Kastmaster lures have proven very effective, reports Nathan Somerville.
At the annual kids fishing event earlier this month, worms were the best bait.
In 2003, the trout limit is four fish. All largemouth bass and bluegill must be immediately released.
•Gooseberry Reservoir. Access remains blocked. The ice is breaking up, and could be open by the weekend. Try night crawlers for the cutthroat and chartreuse PowerBait or Zeke’s green garlic bait for rainbow trout. All tributaries are closed until July 12.
•Huntington Creek. Fly fishing beneath Electric Lake Dam continues to be fair. The creek is colored and becomes muddy below the forks.
Good surface fly patterns include a number 18 griffiths gnat or number16 parachute adams.
Good choices for under the surface includes the number 16 chamois caddis or red number 18 disco midge.
Some anglers have had luck with brown leech patterns. Bait casters have done well by drifting a night crawler with one split shot. Gramlich suggests using an artificial lure.
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. Good fishing is expected for the remaining rainbow trout which were planted just before the annual kids fishing event early this month. At that time, night crawlers worked best for the nine to 10 inch rainbow trout.
•Huntington North Reservoir. Fishing continues to be slow for trout, but is picking up for bass. Low angling pressure.
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 is still ice-covered with water opening up along the shoreline. It will probably be fishable by the weekend.
Fairview resident Munford suggests fishing a straight night crawler behind a full bubble and three to four feet of leader along the bottom. Once the ice pack recedes, try using a straight night crawler behind a full bubble. Keep the night crawler moving slowly for best results.
Brown leeches or copper crystal buggers are recommended for fly fishermen.
Tributaries are closed until July 12.
The reservoir is closed to the possession of cutthroat trout or trout with cutthroat markings.
•Joes Valley Reservoir. Biologist Justin Hart reports that chub meat is still effective for splake. Hart also suggests catching chubs with a worm on a small hook in Seely Cove.
The DWR biologist had good luck last Saturday using a deep-diving Rapala near the dam.
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. Conservation officer Edward Meyers urges anglers to fish early in the day for best results. Try PowerBait for shoreline angling and Rapalas or Jake’s spinners from a boat.
The lake was stocked two weeks ago.
In 2003, fishing is prohibited from a boat with a gas engine.
•LaSal Mountains. Fishing has been good at Hidden Lake for nine to 14 inch rainbow trout with artificial flies or bait.
Black or brown wooly worms, fished slowly along the bottom, have produced good results.
Fishing at Dons Lake has been good for nine inch splake and seven inch tiger trout. Try a black or yellow wooly bugger or worms.
The gate remains closed to Oowah and Warner as of May 18. Access is still blocked for Blue, Dark Canyon and Medicine lakes.
•Price River/Lower Fish Creek. Flows from the reservoir have increased. Try a size 14 beadhead prince nymph for 13 to 14 inch brown trout. 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. Fishing success slowed down considerably this past weekend. Weather and high winds were partly to blame. Biologist Hart reports that anglers were using yellow and rainbow PowerBait or cheese. Fly fishermen were using wooly buggers.
One successful angler fished from a boat and used a suspending jerk bait along the rip rap on the west side and around the islands. Others have done well by trolling orange/pearl triple teasers.
Munford recommends using an egg sac or straight night crawler fished four feet behind a full bubble on the east side. He also describes fishing as fair on the west side for fly anglers using uniform sinking line with brown leeches or red, rust or green crystal buggers with a brown marabou tail.