Fishing report for southeastern Utah

By Sun Advocate

•Duck Fork Reservoir. This body of water is currently inaccessible and 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 lake is ice-free. Access is open on the north end. Anglers have reported good luck with a night crawler and red salmon egg combination. Try the combination in front of four feet of leader and a full bubble, urges Todd Munford.
Boats cannot be launched. Small craft may be hand-carried to the water.
Fly fishermen have had fair success with a brown leech or rust-colored crystal bugger with sinking line.
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 fo open, the limit will be two trout, but artificial flies and lures must be used.
•Ferron Reservoir. The reservoir remains inaccessible. 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. Once again, the pond is losing water. The DWR is investigating some pond liner options.
The Castle Country Bass Masters will be catching bluegill and bass at Red Fleet Reservoir this weekend to plant in the pond.
In 2003, the trout limit is four fish. All largemouth bass and bluegill must be immediately released.
•Gooseberry Reservoir. Access remains blocked, but may be available 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 has been good with number 18 griffiths gnat or number 16 through 18 parachute adams patterns.
Nymph fishing has been fair with olive or tan hare’s ears in number 14 through 16 or red number 18 disco midge.
Bait casters have done well by drifting a night crawler with one split shot.
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. Fishing success for trout has dropped off with the hot weather. No more trout will be stocked this year.
•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’s shoreline is open. Conservation officer Alan Green describes fishing success as “dynamite” with worms or night crawlers.
Fairview angler, Munford describes fishing as great for 12 to 17 inch tiger trout. Munford also suggests fishing a straight night crawler behind a full bubble and three to four feet of leader along the bottom. Allow the worm to go to the bottom and retrieve very slowly.
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 success has been very good for splake, using chunks of chub meat. Chubs can be easily caught with a piece of worm or PowerBait. Allow the chub chunk to settle on the bottom. We received a report last week of an angler who caught a 12 pound splake with a half ounce tube jig.
Aquatics biologist Justin Hart says the chance to catch a big fish is very good. Using chub meat, Hart and fellow biologist Craig Walker hooked a few in the four to 10 pound range over the Memorial Day weekend. Hart warns that this condition won’t last much longer, because the splake will go deep as the water warms up.
Walker adds that anglers will need a large (4-0) treble or single hook.
If anglers wish to reduce hooking mortality on released fish, Walker recommends using a treble hook.
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. DWR Sgt. Edward Meyers reports that the lake is nearly full. No report on angling success however.
In 2003, fishing is prohibited from a boat with a gas engine.
•Lake Powell. The Lake Powell fishing report home page is located at 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. Meyers reports that access to Blue and Medicine lakes is still blocked. He also adds that Medicine will be accessible very soon.
As of last weekend, the U.S. Forest Service gate to Warner was still closed, but should be open soon.
The gate to Oowah was opened on last week.
Meyers says fishing has been excellent for hold-over rainbow and brook trout. He also recommends spinners or salmon eggs.
Fishing at Hidden Lake has been excellent for hold-over and stocked rainbow trout. Salmon eggs, worms and spinners have worked best.
Fishing at Dons Lake has been fair for splake and tiger trout with spinners and flies.
•Miller Flat Reservoir. Access to this reservoir may be available by this weekend. Stocking will occur in the next week or two.
•Millsite Reservoir. Velveeta cheese remains the bait of choice at this eastern Utah waterway.
•Petes Hole. Worms and spinners produced fish this past weekend.
•Potter’s Ponds. The U.S. Forest Service gate may be open by the weekend. Stocking may occur the following week.
•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 is unlocked. The road is open and dry.
•Scofield Reservoir. Angler Len Gasser enjoyed great fishing this past weekend. He said the trout were about 16 to 18 feet down, and that they were taking anything green or perch-colored.
Conservation officer Stacey Taggart reported a large midge hatch over the weekend. This will slow fishing success as the trout fill up on the abundant insect supply.
Angler Munford reported good fishing on the east side with rainbow or lemon twist PowerBait. The angler also talked to anglers who did well on the west side using night crawlers with one floating Power Egg. Trollers have had good success with orange/pearl triple teasers, Rebel floater/diver crayfish, silver and red needle fish, or pop gear and night crawler.
•Soup Bowl. Try worms or spinners for best results.
•Willlow Lake. Conservation officer Kip Draper reports that fishing was good over the weekend with spinners and worms.