Bear Lake
Biologist Scott Tolentino reports that Bear Lake still has quite a bit of floating ice, mainly concentrated in the area north of Garden City. The fishing is red hot! There is a lot of ice off the Utah State Park Marina and launching is not recommended there, but boats can be launched at First Point, Rainbow Cove and the private marina as Spinnaker Point. Cutthroat trout and lake trout fishing have been phenomenal lately. Anglers reported excellent fishing for cutthroat and lakers by either trolling or jigging. If you’re trolling, good depths to target are 70 to 90 feet using large minnow type lure or flatfish. When jigging try Kastmasters or other vertical jigging spoons. You may also find success using lead head jigs tipped with cisco. Good spots to try are off Gus Rich Point, the rockpile and Cisco Beach.
Birch Creek Reservoir
Ice fishing conditions are good. The ice is nearly two feet thick. Fishing has been good for rainbow trout up to 16 inches and an occasional tiger trout over 20 inches.
Blacksmith Fork River
Anglers are having success for small brown trout on the impoundment using spinners. Conservation Officer Matt Burgess reports that the water is clear and fishing conditions are good using flies or bait.
Bountiful Lake
There has been open water around the shore lately. Use caution.
East Canyon Reservoir & State Park
Biologist Clint Brunson reports that the fishing is slow. He caught four fish from 8 a.m. to noon with a few more missed. The fish caught (all rainbows) ranged from eight to 14 inches. He fished in shallower water with the deepest location about 22 feet using night crawlers, wax worms, mealworms, spikes and even shrimp. The ice was about 10 inches thick and there was a little open water at the end of the boat ramp. Be careful getting on and off the ice.
Echo Reservoir
Conservation Officer Rustin Nielsen reports fair fishing in recent weeks. Anglers caught rainbow trout using various colors of paddlebugs or Gitzits that were tipped with shrimp or mealworms. Most fish were caught at 12 to 15 feet under the ice. There is at least 12 inches of ice on the reservoir.
Hyrum Reservoir & State Park
Conservation Office Matt Burgess reports that the reservoir is good for trout. Try fishing in six to 15 feet depths using PowerBait, mealworms or small jigs. The ice conditions are still good with about six to eight inches of thickness. Some people were observed falling through the ice while entering from the bank. Some of the edges are ok. Use caution.
Jensen Nature Park Pond
Conservation Officer Wyatt Buback reports that anglers are having great success using small leech patterns.
Kaysville Ponds
Conservation Officer Wyatt Buback reports good fishing using Berkley salmon eggs.
Logan River
Matt Burgess reports that the water conditions are clear. Anglers have had some success using flies and bait. Prince nymphs, hare’s ears, pheasant tails, and free-living caddis are all good choices for flies.
Lost Creek Reservoir
Aquatics Tech Phil Tuttle reports that Lost Creek continues to fish well. The ice around the edges is fairly slushy during warm parts of the day; however, this ice is still safe. Small white or pink jigs tipped with mealworms or wax worms have produced well for rainbow trout. Rainbows have been consistently caught at depth of 10 to 12 feet. Early morning is the best (sunrise until around 9 a.m.) time for quick fishing. Cutthroat fishing has been slow. The few cutthroats caught have been near the bottom.
Mantua Reservoir
Biologist Chris Penne reports good fishing for bluegill using ice jigs tipped with wax worms or mealworms. Other fish caught include perch, rainbow trout and largemouth bass. There is six to eight inches of good ice below a layer of frozen slush. Two individuals who fished with Penne recently returned only to find that they couldn’t safely access the ice from the northeast parking lot. The edges are beginning to be unstable. Use caution when trying to access the ice.
Mirror Lake
Whitney Reservoir has been hot for smaller trout. Access is by snowmobile only and the ice is over two feet thick. The ice has about one foot of slush on top, so use some caution when taking a snowmobile out.
Newton Reservoir
Conservation Officer Matt Burgess reports that the ice is solid in the middle, but the edges are soft. The fishing is slow.
Ogden River
The river and fish are in pre-runoff condition. The fish are actively taking flies from the surface. Because the river is so clear, fish are easily spooked. Nate Miller from Fish Tech Outfitters has some great tips on fishing with midge patterns.
Pineview Reservoir
Conservation Officer David Beveridge reports that the fishing is slow. Some anglers have had success with smaller perch. Anglers also report some success for crappie in deeper water at night.
Rockport Reservoir
Joseph Hamby with Rockport State Park reports that fishing has been good. A variety of ice flies tipped with wax worms, night crawlers and PowerBait seem to be working best. The fish are suspended at the 15- to 25-foot level. If the fishing seems slow, move around and ask around. The ice is 9 to 15 inches thick but use caution around the edges. It has been thawing and freezing in the afternoon and evenings. There are now 45 tagged fish in the lake with prizes up to $2,500 dollars cash.
Weber River
Biologist Paul Thompson reports flows from Echo Dam are still low, so the river is pretty small downstream until Lost Creek adds some water. Flows between Echo and Rockport have been holding steady between 90 and 100 cfs. Both reaches have been fishing well with standard nymphs (hare’s ears, pheasant tails, scuds and midges).
Willard Bay Reservoir
Park Ranger Mert Russo reports open water in the North Marina with ice still on the middle of the lake. The shoreline has ice buildup, so please be very careful. Sergeant Mitch Lane reports fishing has been poor and pressure is light. Remember, the wiper limit is now three fish and the inlet will be closed from March 1 through 6 a.m. on the last Saturday in April.
