Southeastern Fishing Report

Michelle Thomas of Spanish Fork holds the 2.5-pound albino rainbow trout she caught at Potters Pond on June 20, 2010.

Photo by Randall Stilson

ABAJO MOUNTAINS: (June 15) Sergeant J. Shirley reports slow fishing in the Monticello and Blanding area over the weekend, presumably due to the cold, windy and wet conditions. Very few anglers ventured to the area waters, but some good-sized fish were caught at Loyd's Lake, including a 4-pound, 22-inch rainbow. For Blanding #3 and 4, try baits like marshmallows, PowerBait or nightcrawlers. A Jakes lure is the best performing spinner. At Dry Wash Reservoir, try silver or gold Jakes lures. Two weeks ago, Sergeant Shirley reported good fishing at Recapture Reservoir for bass, pike and catfish. He recommended fishing for pike and bass from a boat or from another watercraft. Anglers should cast into shallow water toward the shoreline and then reel back out into deeper water. You can catch catfish at the reservoir with any type of bait.


CLEVELAND RESERVOIR: (June 15) The reservoir is ice-free. Fishing has been slow in the reservoir, but better in the creek. Baits have been less effective than flies or lures.



DUCK FORK RESERVOIR: (June 24) Anglers report good success for 14- to 20-inch tiger trout with gold or silver Jakes lures. The tributaries are closed until the second Saturday in July. Duck Fork has special regulations. Read the Utah Fishing Guidebook for more details.


ELECTRIC LAKE: (June 15) Anglers report good fishing. Pop gear tipped with nightcrawlers should help you catch 14- to 16-inch trout.


FERRON RESERVOIR: (June 15) Aquatics Technician Randall Stilson reports fair fishing for small brook trout and 14- to 15-inch rainbow trout. Nightcrawlers and PowerBait have been effective baits.


GIGLIOTTI POND: (June 15) Nightcrawlers, PowerBait, and Power Nuggets were the best baits at last week's fishing events. Try yellow, orange or lime green colored bait. The area around the dam seemed to offer better fishing than other locations. The limit at the pond is two fish.


GOOSEBERRY RESERVOIR: (June 24) Tom Ogden flyfished from a tube on June 22 and reported good fishing for fish under 13 inches. He used a size 10 beadhead black, purple and red soft hackle fly on medium sinkline.


GRASSY LAKE: (June 24) Although the lake has been stocked, anglers report slow fishing.


HUNTINGTON NORTH RESERVOIR: (June 24) Except for early mornings, the reservoir is used mostly for water sports. The reservoir has special regulations. Read the Utah Fishing Guidebook for more details.


HUNTINGTON RESERVOIR: (June 24) Tom Ogden flyfished from a tube on June 22 and reported very good fishing for 10- to 12-inch trout. His largest trout was 16 inches. Tom used a size 8 beadhead black and green soft hackle fly on medium sinkline. He cast toward the shore and let his fly sink before stripping in the line. The reservoir has special regulations. Read the Utah Fishing Guidebook for more details.


JOES VALLEY RESERVOIR: (June 24) On June 23, James Gilson reported slow fishing. He and his son fished caught six trout under 18 inches in about five hours from a boat. Try using chubs or chub meat.


LA SAL MOUNTAINS: (June 15) A week ago, Conservation Officer TJ Robertson provided the following report:

Dons Lake: Fishing has been good with bright-colored baits and all types of lures. Good choices include Jakes lures, small spoons and Roostertails.

Hidden Lake: Fishing has been excellent, regardless of the bait. Small spoons, Jakes spinners and Roostertails have been the best lures.

Kens Lake: Bass fishing is picking up as the water temperature rises. Typical bass lures, like doubletail divers, have been effective. Trout fishing is fair to good. Fish in the early morning or evening with PowerBait, nightcrawlers or salmon eggs for best results. The best spinner is a Jakes lure.

Oowah Reservoir: The access road is now open. Hold-over trout have been hitting small lures and flies. The reservoir should be stocked by the end of the week.

Rattlesnake Ranch: Fishing has been good with all types of baits. The property surrounding the lake is privately-owned. Please keep your vehicles on established roads and pack out any garbage.

Warner Lake: The gate is open but fishing has been slow. Stocking is expected to occur by the end of the week.


MILLER FLAT RESERVOIR: (June 24) Anglers report good fishing—especially with orange or green PowerBait.


MILLSITE RESERVOIR & STATE PARK: (June 24) Aquatics Technician Bill Mitchell reports slow fishing in the full reservoir. Bill said that bright green PowerBait outperformed nightcrawlers.


PETES HOLE: (June 24) Anglers report good fishing with nightcrawlers, Panther Martins or bronze or silver Jakes lures.


POTTERS PONDS: (June 24) Anglers report good fishing—especially with orange or green PowerBait. Michelle Thomas of Spanish Fork caught a 2.5-pound albino rainbow last weekend.


SCOFIELD RESERVOIR: (June 24) Aquatics Technician Randall Stilson reports fair fishing. He caught two big fish on June 12. Willy Brock caught a 27-inch, 8-pound tiger trout, and Ryan Jones hooked a 24-inch, 6-pound tiger. Both anglers used chub meat as bait. On June 16, Stilson interviewed five anglers who had been trolling with a Lucky Craft Rapala. The five anglers hooked 82 trout—ranging from 14 to 18 inches—in three hours. The catch included a mixture of rainbows, tigers and a few cutthroats.

Scofield has special regulations. Make sure you read the Utah Fishing Guidebook before you head out.


WILLOW LAKE: (June 15) Fishing is fair. Last weekend, Thad Morris caught three 16- to 17-inch tigers with nightcrawlers.


WRIGLEY SPRINGS RESERVOIR: (June 15) The reservoir may have winterkill. Stocking should happen soon.

Southeastern Fishing Report

ABAJO MOUNTAINS: (June 04) Sergeant J. Shirley reported good fishing at both Blanding #3 and #4. Bait anglers who used marshmallows, PowerBait and nightcrawlers were doing especially well. The best lure was a silver Jakes lure. Fishing has also been good at Dry Wash Reservoir, especially with silver or gold Jakes lures. Sergeant Shirley said that fishing at Recapture Reservoir was good for bass, pike and catfish. For the best results, fish for pike and bass from a boat or other craft. Cast toward the shoreline into shallow water and then reel back out into deeper water. Any type of bait will catch catfish at the reservoir.

CLEVELAND RESERVOIR: (June 04) The reservoir is almost ice-free. Fishing has been better in the creek than in the reservoir. Flies or lures are more effective than bait.

ELECTRIC LAKE: (June 04) This past weekend, Sergeant Stacey Jones reported excellent shoreline fishing near the dam with nightcrawlers. Aquatics Technician Bob Olson reported that the access road leading to the boat ramp was muddy and deeply rutted.

GRASSY LAKE: (June 04) Snowdrifts are still blocking access to the lake.

HUNTINGTON CREEK: (May 20) On May 10, Tom Ogden flyfished below the forks with a floating line and a size 10 beadhead Montana. He had a split shot about a foot above the fly. Tom caught one cutthroat and several 6- to 13-inch browns. Flyfishing with nymphs should be good until the creek is muddied by runoff.

HUNTINGTON NORTH RESERVOIR: (June 04) DWR biologists gillnetted the reservoir last week to sample the fish population. They found a wide range of bass sizes and age classes, with bass ranging from 10 inches to 4.5 pounds. One 9.5-pound channel cat was caught in a net. A few large trout turned up in the nets, including two that weighed three pounds. Although you can see bass cruising along the face of the dam, it's difficult to catch them. On May 13, the DWR stocked the reservoir with 350,000 wiper fry. Hopefully some of them will survive and grow to adult size. The limit at the reservoir is six bass. Only one bass may be over 12 inches.

HUNTINGTON RESERVOIR: (June 04) The ice is melting rapidly, and there's plenty of room to cast from the bank. Good fishing is expected as the ice continues to recede.

JOES VALLEY RESERVOIR: (June 04) On May 30, Desert Lake Superintendent Roy Marchant fished from the shoreline with his daughter. They fished for three hours, using minnows, and caught six splake in the 14- to 17-inch range. Aquatics Technician Randall Stilson reported that a Salt Lake City angler caught an 8.5-pound splake while trolling with a bass plug last weekend. Stilson said fishing was good for 14- to 16-inch splake and tiger trout. Chub meat is recommended.

On May 23, DWR Lead Maintenance Specialist Duane Swasey caught a 31-inch splake on a black-and-silver Cotton Cordell Walley Diver. It weighed nearly 11 pounds. Swasey caught 14 other splake and used chub meat to catch one tiger trout in the 14- to 16-inch range.

On May 21, Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator Dan Keller fished the reservoir with several friends. They had the most success with Berkley white and gray Gulps, a minnow imitator. The Gulps outfished chub meat, Rapalas and everything else they used. As a group, they caught eight to 10 fish per hour. The fish ranged from 14 to 17 inches.

The limit at Joes Valley Reservoir is four trout. Only one may be over 18 inches.

LA SAL MOUNTAINS: (June 04) Conservation Officer T.J. Robertson provided the following report:
Dons Lake: Fishing has been good with bright-colored baits and all types of lures. Good choices include Jakes lures, small spoons and Roostertails.

Hidden Lake: Fishing has been excellent, regardless of the bait. The best lures have been small spoons, Jakes spinners and Roostertails.

Kens Lake: Bass fishing is improving as water temperatures rise. Typical bass lures, such as doubletail divers, are effective. Trout fishing has been fair to good. For the best results, fish in the early morning or evening. Recommended baits include PowerBait, nightcrawlers and salmon eggs. The best spinner is a Jakes lure.

Oowah Reservoir: The access road is now open. Holdover trout have been hitting small lures and flies. Stocking should occur by the end of the week.

Rattlesnake Ranch: Fishing has been good with all types of baits. The property surrounding the lake is privately owned. Please keep vehicles on established roads and pack out all garbage.

Warner Lake: The gate is open, but fishing has been slow. Stocking should occur by the end of the week.

MILLSITE RESERVOIR & STATE PARK: (June 04) Aquatics Technician Randall Stilson reported slow fishing over the weekend.

PETES HOLE: (June 04) The reservoir is now accessible. There haven't been any recent reports from anglers.

POTTERS PONDS: (June 04) The road remains inaccessible.

SCOFIELD RESERVOIR: (June 04) Two weeks ago, Roger Kerstetter and two companions caught 539 trout in five days. They fished the south end in six to 12 feet of water and trolled with the wind. The party fished each day from 7:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. Trout ranged from 14 to 21 inches. The best lures were silver or gold Kastmasters, Krocodiles or other spoons. Weather conditions were windy and rainy. Kerstetter said the secret of his success was fishing at this time of year, after ice-off, when the water temperature is in the 50s and the trout are in shallow water.

Scofield has special regulations. The limit is a combined total of four trout. No more than two may be cutthroat or tiger trout under 15 inches, and no more than one may be a cutthroat or tiger trout over 22 inches. All cutthroat and tiger trout from 15–22 inches must be immediately released. Trout may not be filleted and the heads or tails removed in the field or in transit. Any trout with cutthroat markings is considered to be a cutthroat.

WRIGLEY SPRINGS RESERVOIR: (June 04) The reservoir may have experienced. No one is catching fish right now.

Southeastern Fishing Report

Duane Swasey holds the 10.74-lb., 31-inch splake he caught at Joes Valley Reservoir on May 23.

Photo by Brian Berggren

ABAJO MOUNTAINS: (May 26) Sergeant J. Shirley reports that poor weather and high winds have kept most anglers indoors. The three anglers who were checked had good success at Blanding #3 and Foy Reservoir.


CLEVELAND RESERVOIR: (May 26) The reservoir is mostly ice-free. Sergeant Stacey Jones reports slow fishing in the reservoir, but good fishing in the creek. Flies and lures were the most productive, and baits were not effective at all.


ELECTRIC LAKE: (May 26) The lake is now ice-free. Sergeant Stacey Jones reports fair fishing for all trout species. Try worms, spoons, chubs or chub meat. Aquatics Technician Bob Olson says the north tributary is receiving a lot of angler pressure. The road to the boat ramp is still snow-covered, but is expected to dry out in the next week or so.


GIGLIOTTI POND: (May 14) Try worms, marshmallows and PowerBait. The pond was restocked on Wednesday, April 14 with 2,000 catchable-sized rainbow trout. The limit is two fish.


HUNTINGTON CREEK: (May 20) On May 10, Tom Ogden flyfished below the forks with a floating line and a size 10 beadhead Montana. He had a split shot about a foot above the fly. Tom caught one cutthroat and several 6- to 13-inch browns. Flyfishing with nymphs should be good until the creek is muddied by runoff.


HUNTINGTON NORTH RESERVOIR: (May 20) On May 8, Aquatics Program Manager Paul Birdsey fished with two friends. Fishing was slow. Water temperatures ranged from 51 to 54 degrees. Birdsey caught a 16-inch largemouth using a green pumpkin seed tube jig on a light-action spinning rod. Other bites were too light to detect in time. Birdsey recommends light tackle. Anglers should look for the warmest water they can find. Fish will be moving into these areas to feed and to begin spawning.

The DWR stocked the reservoir with 350,000 wiper fry, which are less than one half-inch in size, on May 13. Biologists hope that a fraction of the fry will survive, grow to adult size, and contribute to the productive warmwater fishery in the years to come.


HUNTINGTON RESERVOIR: (May 26) The reservoir is still covered with ice.


JOES VALLEY RESERVOIR: (May 26) On May 21, Aquatics Biologist Darek Elverud caught between 50 and 60 fish from daylight to 10 a.m. After 10, fishing slowed significantly. Elverud mostly caught splake, with a few cutthroats and tiger trout. Most of the fish ranged from 12 to 14 inches, and the biggest was 18 inches. Elverud used chub meat, silver spoons, Rapalas and tube jigs.

On May 21, Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator Dan Keller fished the reservoir with several friends. They had their best success with Berkley white and gray Gulps—a minnow imitator. The Gulps outfished chub meat, Rapalas and everything else they tried. As a group, they caught 8 to 10 fish per hour in the 14- to 17-inch range.

On May 23, Division Lead Maintenance Specialist Duane Swasey took a 10.74-pound, 31-inch splake on a black and silver Cotton Cordell Walley Diver. Swasey use chub meat and caught 14 other splake and one tiger trout in the 14- to 16-inch range.


LA SAL MOUNTAINS: (May 26) Conservation Officer TJ Robertson reports that Hidden and Dons lakes are now accessible and have been stocked. Fishing is fair at both lakes. The water has been murky at both lakes, but lures that make a slight sound have been working. Bright colored baits are also popular. One angler reported good success with a small, bright-colored fly pattern.

Officer Robertson reports improved fishing at Kens Lake. The water level is still rising. The inlet is one of the best places to fish during the day. The west side of the lake has been fair to good in the evenings. Anglers have done well with small spinners and Jakes lures in float tubes and small crafts (battery-powered only). Fly anglers have done best with small nymphs and may fly imitators. Numerous aquatic insects are hatching. Try to match the hatch to have your best success.

Rattlesnake Ranch has recently been added to the angler access program. Anglers can drive to the lake, but most of the lake lies within private property. Please respect the rights of the property owner. Fishing is good because the lake was stocked a few weeks ago. All types of baits and lures have been working, including all colors of PowerBait, Jakes Spin-A-Lures and other spoons.


MILLSITE RESERVOIR & STATE PARK: (May 26) Due to the wind and poor weather, fishing is slow.


SCOFIELD RESERVOIR: (May 26) Last week, Roger Kerstetter and two companions caught 539 trout in five days. They fished the southend in 6 to 12 feet of water and trolled with the wind. The party fished from 7:30 a.m. until 7 p.m. each day. Trout ranged from 14 to 21 inches. Try fishing with silver or gold Kastmasters, Krocodiles or other spoons. The weather has been windy and rainy. Kerstetter said his secret is to fish just after ice-off, when the water temperature is in the 50s and the trout are in shallow water. Scofield has special regulations. Make sure you read the Utah Fishing Guidebook before you head to the reservoir.


WRIGLEY SPRINGS RESERVOIR: (May 26) The reservoir may have winter-killed. Sargent Stacey Jones didn't find any anglers who had caught fish on her last check.