Bear Lake is now entirely frozen. Ice fishing
has been good for anglers along the east side of the lake, from the pump house
north to Second Point. The ice on the east sider is averaging 4 to 7 inches
thick, but it can be variable in many places due to springs and methane vents
on the bottom of the lake. Temperatures in the Bear Lake Valley are frigid
right now, and ice along the west side of the lake is getting thicker. We're
not aware of any anglers who have ventured onto the ice along the western
shoreline at this time. If you’re planning to ice fish, be extremely careful.
No matter where you fish on the ice at Bear Lake, bring a spud bar to check ice
thickness as you walk around. Also, wear a set of rescue ice picks around your
neck. The picks will give you a better chance of pulling yourself out of the
water if you fall through.
As of Feb. 3, Bonneville cisco were still
running along Cisco Beach and anglers reported dip netting their limits of
fish. The run is tapering off, though. During the end of the cisco run, it’s
necessary to have someone jig a lure in the ice hole you’re fishing in to
attract cisco to the hole so you can dip net them. The cisco run might continue
through this upcoming weekend (Feb. 5-6). No cisco have been caught at the Utah
State Park Marina. This is likely due to a strong water current created by a
large number of deicers running inside the marina.
Ice anglers have reported good fishing for
cutthroat trout, lake trout and whitefish in water ranging from 25 to 55 feet
deep. Anglers are catching trout using jigs or spoons tipped with cisco meat
and jigged close to the bottom. When jigging, use a 1/2- to 1-ounce jig with a
tube, twister tail or swim bait tipped with a piece of cisco or other fish
meat. You can also use a 1/2-ounce jigging spoon such as a Kastmaster or
Swedish Pimple. Jig right on the bottom, bumping the bottom and coming up about
12 to 18 inches. Many of the strikes happen when the lure is falling back to
the bottom, so pay attention to your line. If you notice the lure/line stops
sinking, set the hook and hold on!
If you're targeting Bonneville whitefish, use
a 1/4- to 1/2-ounce vertical jigging spoon (such as a Kastmaster or Swedish Pimple)
and tip the spoon with a salmon egg or a mealworm. Whitefish feed on cisco
eggs, so jig the spoon right on the bottom where the cisco spawn. You can also
use 1/8-ounce jigs in a variety of colors (white, black and yellow are all
popular) and tip the jig with a piece of worm or mealworm. It really helps to
use a braided line/super line with a 4- to 5-foot long monofilament leader in
order to feel the bottom with the lightweight lures and to detect whitefish
bites. Don’t be surprised if you hook into a big cutthroat and/or lake trout
while fishing for whitefish. Remember, all foul-hooked sport fish, other than
cisco, must be immediately released. Reminder: The trout limit is two fish. The
fin-clip regulation for cutthroat trout changed in January 2022 and any
cutthroat trout can be kept up to the two-fish limit. Lake trout take a long
time to reach a large size. While large lake trout are legal to keep, many
anglers are encouraging other anglers to release them. More information: If
you’re looking for fishing information between the emailed reports, you’re
welcome to call our Bear Lake office answering machine at 435-946-8501. We try
to provide updated weather and fishing condition information as conditions
change. The next update will be recorded Monday, Feb. 7. Please call after 5
p.m. to get the most current information for the following day.
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