Biologists find big trout during Flaming Gorge Surveys

Dutch John -- Freezing temperatures and rising winds couldn’t keep Matt Breen and Calvin Black from breaking out in a big grin.

As they pulled the first lake trout out of the water that day, they knew the fish was a monster.

And was it ever: it weighed more than 29 pounds!

The two Utah Division of Wildlife Resources biologists were helping Ryan Mosley set and pull nets on the first day of the annual fisheries survey at Flaming Gorge Reservoir last May.

Mosley is the UDWR’s aquatic project leader at Flaming Gorge. Based on years of data, he and the other biologists say fishing should be good at the reservoir this year.

“The data hasn't been summarized [yet], but this year's catch shows a healthy population for anglers to target this fishing season,” Mosley says.

Mosley says rainbow trout were well represented in the nets. Many of the rainbows pushed 20 inches in length. They weighed about three pounds each.

“We also sampled 37 fish in our lake trout nets,” he says. “The fish looked good. The largest lake trout weighed 29.1 pounds, which is about the threshold the nets can handle.”

Mosley says the water in mid-May was too cold for smallmouth bass to show up in the nets.

So what are his recommendations for this year?

“Come out and enjoy the great fishing at the Gorge," he says. “The person who coined the phrase ‘Money can't buy you happiness’ never bought a Utah fishing license!”

Mosley also encourages you to take a limit of lake trout and smallmouth bass home with you. Reducing these predators will help the reservoir’s kokanee salmon, lake trout and smallmouth bass fisheries.

Also, please remember that you must kill and keep all the burbot you catch.


Trend netting
Since fish don’t voluntarily rise to the surface whenever biologists need to see them, researchers use a variety of techniques to catch fish so they can study them.

One of those techniques involves catching fish in nets.

“Gill netting has been used as a fisheries monitoring tool on Flaming Gorge since 1965, three years after it began filling,” Mosley says. “[The gill net monitoring] is a coordinated effort between the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.”

Although the methods biologists use have changed a little over the last 40 years, they still sample at the same sites, using the same type of nets and sampling at the same time of the year.

These standard procedures remove variability from the data they collect.

UDWR biologists currently sample at 10 sites. The sites extend from the Green River arm at the head of the reservoir, all the way down to Jarvies Canyon, about five miles from the dam.

Biologists set the nets each May when the water temperature reaches about 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Comparing the results of a capture technique over time allows biologists to detect trends they may not see if they looked at data only from a single day. These trends include the size of the population, the health and condition of the fish and what the fish are eating.

Depending on these trends (and other trends collected using additional sampling tools), managers can make changes to address potential concerns. “For example, biologists observed an increase in the abundance of lake trout back in the 1990s and early 2000s,” Mosley says. “Unfortunately, they also noted a severe decline in the Utah chub population and a corresponding decline in [the number of kokanee salmon.]”

As the Utah chub declined, Mosley says the lake trout in Flaming Gorge started eating kokanee salmon. To address this population imbalance, the lake trout limit at the reservoir was liberalized.

The current regulation, which dates back to 2006, allows anglers to keep up to eight lake trout. But only one of those fish can be longer than 28 inches.

For more information about fishing at Flaming Gorge, call the UDWR’s Flaming Gorge office at 435-885-3164.

Big Trout Stocked in Northeastern Utah

Vernal -- Rainbow trout are usually 10 inches or less when the Division of Wildlife Resources stocks them in waters across Utah.

That’s not the case in northeastern Utah, though. Personnel from the DWR’s Whiterocks State Fish Hatchery have included about 1,200 Kamloops rainbows with the smaller fish.

Each of these rainbows weighs between two and three pounds. And about 500 of the 1,200—the ones placed in Steinaker Reservoir north of Vernal—have been tagged with special tags as part of a Family Fishing Event.

If you catch a fish with a special tag, you can turn it in for a prize.

The Family Fishing Event is sponsored by radio stations and businesses in the Uinta Basin, Utah State Parks and the DWR.

For more information about the event, call 435-722-5011.



Big fish
The 1,200 fish that Whiterocks hatchery manager Dana Dewey and his staff have been placing in waters in northeastern Utah are called brood stock. Hatchery workers raised the fish for breeding purposes.

The workers create young trout by fertilizing eggs from female trout with milt from male trout. The young Kamloops rainbows they raise are then stocked into some of the deepest and coldest lakes and reservoirs in Utah.

The hatchery had about 1,200 extra brood stock rainbows this year, so hatchery workers decided to add them to the fish they’re stocking in northeastern Utah.

The fish weigh between two and three pounds each. Each one should provide a lucky angler with a thrill, even it if doesn’t carry a special tag!

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.

Spring Fishing Report Northeastern Region

BIG SANDWASH RESERVOIR: (April 12) The ice just came off and there have been reports of good fishing along the shoreline for rainbows.

BROUGH RESERVOIR: (April 12) The ice recently blew off and fishing has been good along the shoreline.

BROWNE LAKE: (April 12) The lake has ice, but we do not have any recent reports on ice conditions. You can access the lake by snowmobile or ski. Watch out for storms. The weather can change very quickly in the Uinta Mountains. Our last report was of fair fishing with periods of good fishing.

BULLOCK RESERVOIR: (April 12) The reservoir is now ice-free. There are no new fishing reports but fishing should be fair for rainbows.

CALDER RESERVOIR: (April 12) The lake has questionable ice. Snowfall and snow drifts limit access. The area has been receiving more snow during the recent storms. Read Utah Fishing Guidebook for more information about Calder's special regulations.

COTTONWOOD RESERVOIR: (April 12) The reservoir is now ice-free. There are no new fishing reports, but fishing should be slow until the water warms. (Cottonwood Reservoir has mostly warm water fish species.)

CROUSE RESERVOIR: (April 12) The reservoir has ice but the condition of the ice is changing. The ice along the edges is not safe.

CURRANT CREEK RESERVOIR: (April 12) The lake has ice, but it is filling so the edges are not safe. Access is limited to the dam only by winter conditions.

EAST PARK RESERVOIR: (April 12) The lake has ice but it is filling so the edges are likely unsafe. If you do decide to try it, check ice conditions carefully before venturing out.

FLAMING GORGE: (April 12) The ice is deteriorating or gone in the Utah section. Anglers can launch boats at Lucerne, Cedar Springs and Mustang ramps in Utah. There may still be ice or ice sheets in the canyon and in Sheep Creek Bay. Boat carefully and watch for floating ice sheets.
You can help the Flaming Gorge fishery by harvesting your limit of smaller lake trout (the limit is 8 lake trout with one over 28 inches) and burbot (there it no limit for burbot).

Lake trout: Lake trout fishing has been good. Angler technique advice varies, however. Some anglers recommend jigging while others are trolling. Everyone agrees that if you can find a school, the hits will be faster though most likely light. A good line (flourocarbon or braid) will help you feel the strike and get a good hook-set when you are jigging.

Burbot: Burbot fishing has been good through the ice, but its now time to learn to catch them from shore or boats. Try targeting rocky points and cliffs near the main channel that have depths from 10 to 30 feet. Tip just about anything that glows (spoons, tube jigs, curly-tailed jigs, minnow jigs) with some type of bait. Anglers should place their baits close to the bottom and recharge the glow frequently. Don't be surprised if you catch a fish immediately after reglowing and dropping a lure. Burbot hit during the day, but they become extremely active during the twilight hours.

Kokanee salmon: Kokanee fishing is slow this time of year, although anglers have reported catching a few. Although the DWR has stocked millions of kokanee over the last few years, the population remains low due to predation by lake trout and burbot. Anglers need to harvest small lake trout and burbot to reduce consumption of kokanee.

Rainbow trout: Anglers report good to excellent fishing for rainbows from the shore or a boat. Although most of the access is by boat, there is now some limited shore fishing near the visitors' center and the boat ramps. Rainbows are shallow and cruising the shoreline. Look for schools near cliffs, points and submerged ridges.

GREEN RIVER BELOW FLAMING GORGE DAM: (April 12) The daily flows on the river fluctuate. Watch the depths of the waters around you. Try fishing glowbugs (trout egg imitations) scuds, nymphs and small fish imitations. The brown trout spawning run is over, but the redds are still there. If you wade, be careful that you don't damage the eggs. Spin anglers should try Rapalas (floating, countdown and husky jerk); spinners; spoons; black, brown or olive marabou jigs; and plastic jigs.

MATT WARNER: (April 12) There are no new fishing reports and the ice conditions are unknown. Drifts limit access to skis and snowmobiles.

MOOSE POND: (April 12) The ice is melting quickly.

PELICAN LAKE: (April 12) The recent winds blew most of the ice off the reservoir. However, the water is quite cold so fishing will be slow or spotty until the water warms. Try fishing the lake after a few sunny days with warm nights. Note: This is an Aquatic Invasive Species watch water for invasive mussels. Before and after use, be sure you clean and dry any fishing, hunting or other equipment that is exposed to water (like decoys, waders, rubber boots and fish finders).

RED FLEET RESERVOIR: (April 12) The reservoir went ice-free because of the high winds on Tuesday night. Park managers have opened the main access road to Red Fleet and the boat ramp. There is a vault toilet near the ramp, although the area does not have running water yet. Anglers may access the reservoir from the backside, but the closed gate means that access is walk-in only. The gate is intended to hinder the movement of invasive Zebra and Quagga mussels by controlling boat launching. Note: . Note: This is an Aquatic Invasive Species watch water for invasive mussels. Before and after use, be sure you clean and dry any fishing, hunting or other equipment that is exposed to water (like decoys, waders, rubber boots and fish finders).

STARVATION RESERVOIR: (April 12) The reservoir still had ice when we went by last weekend but as it looked like it was in the process of changing and high winds blew ice off other reservoirs at similar elevations it is likely ice free or nearly so. If the ice is gone or present with an expanse of water along the shoreline, it should be good fishing for rainbows and browns. Try fishing either just below the ice or parallel with the shoreline as big fish often cruise the shore looking for anything that might have melted out or for places to spawn.

STEINAKER RESERVOIR: (April 12) The reservoir went ice-free this weekend. Park rangers report that anglers are catching fish, mostly rainbows, from the shore or a boat. Boat and shore anglers are doing equally well using baits and lures. The trout are near the surface and often right along the shoreline. The DWR stocked roughly 13,000 white rainbows last fall. Don't be surprised if you catch a fish that looks like an albino trout.