Updated fishing report for southeastern Utah

By Sun Advocate

Most of the mid and high elevation lakes and reservoirs have frozen as a result of the arctic air mass which moved into Utah last weekend.
The DWR advises against ice fishing, except where multiple test holes verify safe ice conditions.
Ice anglers should never ice fish alone and always carry a rescue rope and a buoyancy device. Each participant should carry a set of ice picks on his person. An emergency blanket, cell phone, and first aid equipment are also advised.
•Benches and Boulger Ponds – Both ponds are ice-covered. Todd Munford of Big Pine Sports in Fairview indicates that both ponds can be good for the first two or three weeks after ice-on with a split shot dropper and rainbow PowerBait near the dam.
•Cleveland Reservoir – The reservoir is frozen with some areas which appear much more thin and transparent than others. Munford recommends fishing near the inlet on the southwest corner using an ice ant or fly below a Kastmaster tipped with a wax worm or one-fourth night crawler.
•Cottonwood Creek – (in Straight Canyon below Joes Valley Reservoir) Anglers should try salmon eggs and red/gold spinners. Extreme caution should be exercised around icy rocks and boulders.
•Duck Fork Reservoir – Duck Fork has been replanted with Colorado River cutthroat trout and fingerling tiger trout. 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 River cutthroat from being listed as threatened or endangered. If that were to happen, traditional fishing in southeastern Utah could be dramatically impacted. Tiger trout will provide for sport fishing at this water, beginning late next year.
•Electric Lake – Ice is beginning to form on the north end. The south end remains open. As soon as the ice is safe, fishing should be dynamite on the dam end in 20-30 feet of water, Munford said. Use a split shot dropper with one-half night crawler tipped with a Power Egg.
•Fairview Lakes – The lakes are accessible by sled only.
•Gooseberry Reservoir – Access by snow machine only. Fishing can be good on the dam end with a Kastmaster tipped with a wax worm or night crawler.
•Huntington Creek – Banks are icy. All except the main current is frozen. Brown trout may be caught in deeper pools with glow bugs or pheasant tails. Little brassies in the riffles are recommended.
•Huntington North Reservoir – The reservoir was stocked with about 600 rainbow brood fish on Sept. 16. The reservoir remains open.
•Huntington Reservoir – (above Cleveland Reservoir) The reservoir is iced over. In the next few weeks, good ice fishing is expected for tiger trout near the dam and along the eastern shoreline. Munford recommends white tube jigs tipped with a wax worm; or Swedish pimple tipped with a night crawler.
•Joes Valley Reservoir – This reservoir is closed to fishing until Dec. 13.
•Millsite Reservoir – The reservoir remains open. Last week, Aquatics Biologist Craig Walker caught a three pound, 24-inch rainbow trout from the dam, by vertically jigging a gold Panther Martin. Another angler had good luck by jigging a chartreuse glitter or white plastic grub.
•Scofield Reservoir – The reservoir iced over completely on Monday, Nov. 24. Extreme caution should be exercised. Ice thickness is unknown. When the ice pack proves safe, spawn sacs can be good this time of year. Another good choice is a Gitzit tipped with a night crawler.