The ice on Bear Lake has thawed and there is now 100% open water as of Monday
4/18. Boats can be launched at the Utah State Park marina only. The
First Point and Rainbow Cove ramps have ice stacked along the shoreline and the
State Park is working to clear that ice and get the courtesy docks
reinstalled.
We don’t have an
updated on-the-lake fishing report since no one has been able to access the
lake in several weeks due to deteriorated ice and no open water. However,
historically when the lake first opens up after ice cover, fishing is typically
very good. The fish have not seen a lure in nearly a month! Good
spots to try when trolling are from First Point North to the scout camp, along
the delta areas are North and South Eden, parallel to the shoreline at Cisco
Beach and from the state park marina north to Fish Haven Creek. Since the
water is still very cold, troll slowly with flat lines in shallow water 10-25’
deep. Run your lines 150’ or more behind the boat. The fish are easily
spooked by the boats in the shallow water, but will move back into areas after
the boat passes. This can be a very productive method in the early
season.
If you are jigging,
try water depths ranging from 25 to 60 feet deep in the same areas as listed
for trolling. 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 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!
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.
--
Scott A. Tolentino,
Fisheries Biologist
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
No comments:
Post a Comment