Walleye threaten Red Fleet

VERNAL — If you want to catch big walleye at Red Fleet Reservoir, you'd better catch them soon — the walleye fishery isn't going to last all that long.

"Someone illegally introduced walleye into Red Fleet," says Ed Johnson, aquatics biologist with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. "Our surveys show we now have several strong age classes."


Biologists caught an equal number of walleye and rainbow trout in their nets during surveys this past spring. Several of the walleye weighed more than six pounds.

Johnson says walleye fishing should be good for the next few years. "Then the fishing for all species, including bass and rainbows, will crash," Johnson says. The reason? "Too many predators will [deplete] the prey base."


Only so much room
Located 13 miles north of Vernal, Red Fleet is not a large reservoir. Johnson says adding another top predator to the reservoir has overloaded its fishery with predators.

As the walleye population increases, these aggressive predators will consume greater numbers of rainbows and bluegill. The Division can't afford to raise rainbows just to feed the walleye. As the number of rainbow trout declines, the walleye will place even more pressure on the bluegill.

"As the bluegill decline, the walleye will switch to feeding on bass and on smaller versions of themselves," Johnson says. "In the end, all that will be left are a few small, skinny walleye swimming around."


Catch and kill regulation
Because the walleye were illegally introduced, the Division has placed a "no tolerance regulation" on walleye in Red Fleet:


There's no limit on walleye
Anglers must keep all of the walleye they catch. All walleye must be immediately killed.

Johnson says anglers will likely see a few years of good fishing before the fishery collapses. "We saw fewer bluegill in the nets and around the reservoir this spring," he says. "It's likely we're starting to see the effects of walleye predation [on other fish in the reservoir].

"Few anglers are targeting walleye in Red Fleet, and even fewer are catching them," Johnson says.

Division biologists are discussing ways to treat the reservoir to remove the walleye. Walleye are capable of breeding inside the reservoir, so there's no easy way to control their numbers.

For more information about fishing at Red Fleet Reservoir, call the Division at 435-781-9453.

DWR provides Tips to catch Rainbow Trout this Spring

If you fish at Steinaker Reservoir this spring, you might catch one of these — an albino rainbow trout.

Photo courtesy of Ron Stewart, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

Vernal -- Fishing has been good to excellent in the Uinta Basin this spring.
In the past few weeks, the ice has melted off all of the lower elevation waters in the basin, including Starvation, Steinaker, Big Sandwash, Brough, Red Fleet and Pelican Lake.

Even waters as high in elevation as lakes on Diamond Mountain and Flaming Gorge Reservoir are free of ice.

Most of these waters have trout in them. And the trout have responded to the warmer weather. Anglers are enjoying excellent fishing.


Tip for catching them
Trout are a cold-water fish. They’re most accessible to anglers during the spring and fall. (That’s when the water temperature is cold or cool across the entire lake or stream the fish are in. When the water temperature on the surface warms, the trout go deeper to find colder water. But until then, they’ll feed aggressively closer to the surface.)

Areas close to shore are good places to target in the early spring. Later, as the water warms a bit, try fishing near inlets that flow into the lake or reservoir you’re fishing. Trout swim to these areas to feed. Some of them also spawn in these areas.

Try casting along the leading edge of the cloudy water where the inlet water meets the clearer water in the lake. Spring floods sweep insects, small fish and other food downstream. The fish congregate in the cleaner water, watching for food that floods in from the dirtier water. Since visibility is poor, the fish have to move fast to catch a meal.

A small, bright, flashy lure usually does the trick in the spring. A quick, bright flash often triggers the trout to strike.

Baits also work well because the fish can smell the bait. They’ll often follow the scent of the bait right to your hook.

While lure anglers want something bright and flashy, fly anglers might want to stay conservative. While “matching the hatch” is always the tried and true method when fly fishing, sometimes the fly you pick won’t be visible to the fish. So go dark—black ants and dark-colored grubs are common items swept into lakes and reservoirs by the spring runoff.

Updated fishing reports for northeastern Utah are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/fishing/reports.php .

If you have questions about fishing in northeastern Utah, call the Division of Wildlife Resource’s Northeastern Region office at (435) 781-9453.