DWR Press Release – Information compiled by Morgan Jacobsen
Attention: Quagga and zebra mussels are a major threat to Utah waterways. Read how you can help keep them out of Utah.
Abajo Mountains – Good
This year, Monticello Lake, Lloyds Lake and Blanding Reservoir Nos. 3 and 4 have all been stocked with several thousand 10-inch rainbow trout. Anglers have also had success catching pike at Recapture Reservoir, using gold Jake’s lures. (08-07-18)
Benches Pond – Good
Fishing is good at Benches Pond, especially early in the morning or later in the evening. The pond was last stocked on June 25 with 500 rainbow trout that averaged almost 11 inches long. To catch them, try using worms, PowerBait or spinners. Garlic PowerBait has worked especially well. Tributaries to Benches Pond are now open for fishing. (08-07-18)
Boulger Reservoir – Good
Fishing has been good at the reservoir. This waterbody was most recently stocked on July 23 with more than 500 rainbow trout that averaged about 11 inches long. (08-07-18)
Carbon County Community Fishing Pond – Good
The pond was most recently stocked on July 19 with 900 rainbow trout. Each fish was almost 11 inches long. Try using nightcrawlers or PowerBait to catch rainbow trout here. (08-07-18)
Cleveland Reservoir – Good
The fishing for rainbow trout has been good at Cleveland Reservoir, especially if you can get out on a float tube. If you’re using fly tackle, try using a medium-sinking line with a plum leech, a black/orange woolly bugger or a brown/green/pearl crystal bugger, all with a bead head. Most of the fish have been caught in 15 to 25 feet of water, well within casting distance from the shore. (08-07-18)
Duck Fork Reservoir – Fair
Anglers who fish before noon are catching tiger trout that range from 14 to 18 inches long. They are using bead head soft-hackle flies in black/red/blue and black/green/pearl color combinations. Duck Fork Reservoir was also stocked with almost 1,300 cutthroat trout on July 2. (08-07-18)
Electric Lake – Good
Fishing is best at Electric Lake using minnows and tube jigs. Try bouncing these vertically, or use a nightcrawler. Anglers have been catching tiger trout with these methods. Water levels at the lake have been dropping, and this might make it difficult to launch a boat. (08-07-18)
Fairview Lakes – Fair
The lakes were stocked with about 7,000 rainbow trout on May 18. Try using worms, PowerBait or spinners to catch them. Water levels have been low. (08-07-18)
Ferron Creek – Closed
As part of a project to restore native trout, all fish have been removed from Ferron Creek. We anticipate restocking the creek in the fall of 2019. Contact the DWR office in Price (435-613-3700) for more information. (08-07-18)
Ferron Reservoir – Fair
Anglers have caught rainbow and cutthroat trout using bead head soft-hackle flies in black/red/blue and black/green/pearl color combinations. Ferron Reservoir has been stocked with rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout in the past two months. (08-07-18)
Gigliotti Pond – Good
The pond was most recently stocked on June 13 with about 750 rainbow trout that averaged almost 11 inches long. To catch them, try using nightcrawlers or PowerBait. (08-07-18)
Gooseberry Reservoir – Good
The reservoir was most recently stocked on July 10 with more than 1,200 rainbow trout. Try using worms, PowerBait or spinners to catch them. Anglers have also had success catching cutthroat trout using Mepps spinners. The Gooseberry Reservoir tributaries are now open to fishing. (08-07-18)
Grassy Lake – Good
The lake was stocked with 2,600 tiger trout on July 5. Anglers report catching them on white jigs and spinners. (08-07-18)
Huntington Creek – Good
Anglers report catching brown trout in the afternoons. They’re using elk-hair caddis dry flies along the edges of the channel where the water slows. (08-07-18)
Huntington Game Farm Pond – Good
Try using worms or PowerBait to catch rainbow trout. Small flies may work well for bluegill. The pond was stocked with 500 rainbow trout on May 15. (08-07-18)
Huntington North Reservoir – Good
Anglers have been catching bluegill, rainbow trout and bass. The best fishing has been in 15 to 25 feet of water. If you’d like to use fly tackle, try using a size 8 bead head soft-hackle fly in tan. A recent electrofishing survey at Huntington North produced several wipers along the shallow shorelines. All of the fish were more than 18 inches long. The largest wiper was 25 inches long and weighed nearly eight pounds. Biologists also found several sunfish and largemouth bass. (08-07-18)
Huntington Reservoir – Good
Fishing is very good when you can get out on a boat or a float tube into deep water away from the shoreline. With fly tackle, anglers have been successful using size 6–10 buggers and soft-hackle flies in green, tan and pearl color combinations. You might also do well with bead head green tinsel leeches, brown/green/pearl crystal buggers, and plum leeches with a purple tail. The tiger trout have been between 13 and 19 inches long, all of them caught in depths of 15 to 35 feet. The tributaries to Huntington Reservoir are now open to fishing. (08-07-18)
Joes Valley Reservoir – Fair
Fishing has been slow to fair. Try using jigs tipped with chub meat or crankbaits to catch trout and tiger muskies here. Anglers have also had some luck catching cutthroat trout using size 4 bead head crystal buggers in black/silver and black/red/blue color combinations on fast-sinking fly line. (08-07-18)
Knight-Ideal Community Fishing Pond – Good
The pond was last stocked on June 13 with more than 500 rainbow trout that averaged almost 11 inches long. Try using nightcrawlers or PowerBait to catch rainbow trout here. (08-07-18)
La Sal Mountains – Good
Dons Lake and Hidden Lake were both stocked with more than 700 rainbow trout on July 9. Kens Lake and Rattlesnake Ranch Pond, as well as several others on the La Sal Mountains, have been stocked with several thousand rainbow trout this year. (The fish averaged about 10 inches long.) Try using worms, PowerBait or spinners to catch them. (08-07-18)
Lower Fish Creek – Good
Fishing below the dam at Scofield Reservoir is good if you hope to catch chubs. Try using soft-hackle flies here. (08-07-18)
Miller Flat Reservoir – Hot
Fishing is excellent, especially if you can get out toward the middle of the reservoir. Rainbow trout have been biting on size 8 bead head soft-hackle flies in tan, as well as bead head crystal buggers in black/orange/pearl colors. Anglers have also had success trolling in small boats about 50 yards from shore using small, gold Panther Martin and Jake’s spinners. Small crayfish-imitation lures may also work well here. Miller Flat Reservoir was stocked with more than 20,000 small rainbow trout in June and more than 500 small brook trout in July; these fish will grow and become catchable in the coming months and years. (08-07-18)
Petes Hole – Good
Petes Hole was stocked most recently on July 5 with 4,000 tiger trout and 600 rainbow trout. Try using worms, PowerBait or spinners. The tributaries to Petes Hole are now open to fishing. (08-07-18)
Potters Ponds – Fair
Each of the ponds received more than 1,000 rainbow trout when they were stocked on July 11. Try using worms or PowerBait to catch trout here. (08-07-18)
Right Fork of Huntington Creek – Good
Anglers have been catching brown trout in the afternoons. Try using elk-hair caddis dry flies along the edges of the channel where the water slows. (08-07-18)
Scofield Reservoir – Good
Anglers are catching mostly cutthroat trout from the shore. Try using worms, PowerBait, spinners or soft-hackle flies in tan/green/pearl or midnight fire. Fish in the dam cove or along the western shore, including the Walk-in Access portion. Anglers have also been catching cutthroat trout using spoons or white or pearl sparkle tube jigs tipped with chub meat. Yellow garlic PowerBait and tube jigs have worked well for rainbow trout. Scofield was stocked on June 27 with 11,600 rainbow trout that averaged about 10.5 inches long. Scofield has also been stocked with 12,000 cutthroat trout this year. The tributaries to Scofield are now open to fishing. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has issued an algae bloom advisory for Scofield Reservoir, but algae bloom conditions are improving. You can still catch fish here, but wear gloves while cleaning the fish. When finished, wash your hands with clean water. Discard the entrails and eat only the fillets. Before cooking, rinse the fillets thoroughly with clean water. Contact the DEQ for more information. (08-07-18)
Soup Bowl – Good
Soup Bowl was last stocked on July 25 with 250 rainbow trout. Several hundred rainbow trout and tiger trout were also stocked in July. To catch them, try using worms, PowerBait or spinners. (08-07-18)
Straight Canyon Creek – Good
Anglers have had success catching brown trout using soft-hackle flies in Straight Canyon Creek. Anglers may catch more fish near the Joes Valley Dam, but the larger brown trout are further downstream. (08-07-18)
Willow Lake – Good
The lake was stocked most recently on June 27 with more than 300 rainbow trout and 3,000 tiger trout. Try using traditional baits and spinners or tube jigs to catch fish here. (08-07-18)
Wrigley Springs Reservoir – Good
The reservoir was stocked with 2,000 tiger trout and more than 1,500 rainbow trout in June. Try using worms, PowerBait or spinners to catch trout here. (08-07-18)