Fishing reports for Southeastern Utah recreational areas

By Sun Advocate

ABAJO MOUNTAINS Conservation Officer Joe Nicholson reports that fishing has been slow at Recapture Reservoir, except that persistent anglers have been picking up a few pike on crawfish-imitating lures. Blanding #4 will be stocked in early May.
BENCHES RESERVOIR The reservoir remains frozen, although the inlet is opening up. Todd Munford of Big Pine Sports in Fairview suggests fishing for carry-over trout with PowerBait.
BOULGER RESERVOIR The reservoir is still iced-over, but is starting to thaw on the west side near the inlet. Access by snowshoe or snow machine only.
CLEVELAND RESERVOIR The reservoir is frozen, although the north end shows signs of breaking up. Todd Munford recommends a nightcrawler 10-inches below 1/8 oz. split shot. Access by snow shoe or snow machine.
ELECTRIC LAKE The north end is open, but is only accessible by snow machine. The DWR urges anglers not to try ice-fishing Electric Lake for safety reasons. Try a tan rooster tail or � oz. black jig. Nightcrawler/garlic egg combinations are also effective. Cutthroats are in the 12-16 inch size range. Tributaries are closed to fishing until July 9 to protect spawning cutthroat trout.
FAIRVIEW LAKES Most fish winter-killed. Lakes will be restocked by June.
GOOSEBERRY RESERVOIR Mostly or entirely frozen, depending on the weather. Water along the east shoreline opens up on warm days. Access by snow machine only.
HUNTINGTON CREEK Conservation Officer Jay Topham reports good fishing on the lower Huntington with worms, drifted from ripples to pools. Trout have been 8-10 inches in size. Water in the lower creek is becoming a little cloudy on warmer days. Todd Munford suggests lil brassies or pheasant tails fished on light leader in the fly-only zone, which continues to run clear. Below the forks, tan San Juan worms are a good choice. Another good option would be to bounce 1/8 oz. brown or black jigs off the bottom in slower runs.
HUNTINGTON RESERVOIR (on the Wasatch Plateau, Sanpete County) The reservoir remains iced over, but slush pockets can make conditions hazardous. Munford reports that the best fishing is half way down the lake on the east side with a nightcrawler above a � oz. split shot dropper. A straight nightcrawler will be the ticket, when the ice comes off. Until then, pack an extension to your power auger.
HUNTINGTON STATE PARK Stocking is scheduled to occur any day now. For carry-over trout, Officer Topham recommends fishing in the reservoir’s main channel with baits or spoons.
JOES VALLEY RESERVOIR The reservoir is now ice-free. This is traditionally a very good time to fish Joes. Special regulations apply. The limit is two trout, only one over 22 inches. All trout between 15-22 inches must be immediately released.
LAKE POWELL The Lake Powell fishing report home page is: http://www.waynes world.com
LASAL MOUNTAINS Conservation Officer Joe Nicholson reports that LaSal Mountain lakes remain inaccessible, except by snow machine. Ice fishing has been good at Hidden Lake with PowerBait. Rainbows average 10-11 inches. Ken’s Lake was stocked with rainbow trout last week. Excellent fishing is expected.
MILLER FLAT RESERVOIR Access by snow machine only. The reservoir is starting to break up, and fishing is expected to be good with salmon eggs or chartreuse PowerBait.
MILLSITE RESERVOIR Millsite was stocked this past week. That should boost angling success considerably.
SCOFIELD RESERVOIR The reservoir’s ice pack continues to shrink daily. Fishing is possible by small boat, pontoon, tube or along the banks. Success has been excellent for anglers using egg sacs. Worms and orange sparkle PowerBait are also effective, but to a lesser degree.
Todd Munford suggests casting to the edge of the ice and allowing the bait to settle. Don’t reel in the line until you catch a fish to avoid picking up a lot of moss. Fly fishermen have enjoyed excellent fishing along the edge of the ice with brown leech patterns or #16 olive scuds.
Conservation Officer Stacey Jones cautions anglers against throwing back fish hooked by bait or egg sacs. “Hooking mortality is very high this time of year,” states Officer Jones. She issues one other advisory: “It is illegal to harvest eggs from a female trout and then release the fish back into the water.” Keep in mind that all tributaries to Scofield Reservoir are closed to fishing until July 9 to protect spawning cutthroat trout.
STRAIGHT CANYON The creek is fishable and offers good fishing for brown trout.