On August 25, the surface water temperature was 70 degrees. Fishing has improved the past week
and will pick up even more as we head into fall. Fishing has been very good for cutthroat trout and
lake trout, with September being one of the best times of the year to target large lake trout. Anglers
are catching fish while jigging or trolling. The best spots have been off the “rockpile”, near Ideal
Beach or from the Utah State Park Marina northward to Fish Haven. Anglers have also found
success on the east side of the lake, from Second Point northward to the South Eden delta, off Cisco
Beach, and off the Idaho State Park.
If you’re trolling, try using jointed Rapalas, flatfish or flasher/squid combos trolled in 65 - 100 feet of
water. Try starting at 65 feet, and keep moving deeper until you find active fish. Most of the fish are
close to the bottom, but pay attention to your sonar since you may find a few fish suspended off the
bottom. Once you find some active fish, keep circling around that area to stay on the bite.
If you’re jigging, use a ½- to 1-ounce jig with a 4- to 6-inch tube, twister tail or swim bait tipped with a
piece of cisco or other fish bait. Let the jig bounce right on the bottom, lifting it up about 12 to 18
inches and then dropping it back. White, green, and chartreuse are reliable colors.
As water cools in the fall, lake trout move closer to shore for spawning. Expect better shore fishing
and jigging success. Try trolling with bright jointed lures or Rapalas in 20–80 ft, or casting spinners,
and fly fishing with sculpin or leech patterns off Cisco Beach, the Marina, and North Beach Jetty.
Bear Lake water levels have dropped about 3 feet so far this year. Boat launching is available at the
Utah State Park Marina, Rainbow Cove, and First Point. The Cisco Beach ramp is open, but four-
wheel-drive vehicles are recommended to launch there. Construction continues on the Marina
Expansion Project. State Park personnel are working closely with the contractor to minimize any
impacts to the operations of the existing marina.
Reminder: The trout limit is two fish. There is no longer a fin clip regulation for cutthroat trout, so you
can keep any cutthroat trout 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. If you plan on releasing fish, try to land the fish quickly and then get it back into the water
without any delays. You may consider using a descending device which allows you to recompress
fish and release them into deeper, cooler water.
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