All of this rain and snow has helped ski resorts and water users but has done little to help the ice fishermen.
Currently, the only popular ice-fishing waters with a covering safe enough to walk on are Scofield, Panguitch and Strawberry, and even then cold-weather anglers are being urged to "be careful." There is some safe ice on Flaming Gorge.
Generally, come January, there are plenty of places to drop a fishing line through the ice, but not this year.
That does not, of course, mean there are limited fishing opportunities. Rivers, such as the Green, Weber, Provo, Ogden and Logan, are providing some excellent fishing. And, several who have fished the moving water say there's very little competition.
There are still a few fishermen willing to haul their boats and launch at Jordanelle. Waters at Deer Creek are also open, but ramps are not.
There was a thin crust on Rockport earlier in the week, but that has since turned to liquid again.
There are reports of some nice rainbow, in the 16- to 18-inch class, being taken from Deer Creek and Rockport over the past week.
The forecast is calling for colder temperatures over the weekend, which might just be enough to at least get the freezing process started.
With the open water and colder temperatures, a little different fishing strategy is advised. In colder water the fish are less active and true hits are sometimes little more than a twitch in the line.
Also, said Tom Pettengill, sports fishing coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, "fishermen need to downsize their equipment because the fish are less active." Meaning, of course, smaller rods, lures, flies, hooks and smaller pieces of bait on the hooks.
Traditional baits fished off or close to the bottom, such as salmon eggs and worms, tend to work best under these conditions in lakes and reservoirs.
Fly fishermen using glow bugs, San Juan worms and sow bugs are doing relatively well in the rivers.
Because of the lack of ice, fishing pressure has been down and license sales have been down as well. Things should start to pick up as waters start to freeze.
Here's the latest report from the DWR on some of Utah's more popular waters:
LOST CREEK — Fishing success has been good for 10- to 12-inch cutthroat and rainbow. There is 6 inches of ice near the dam.
ROCKPORT — Fishing success has been fair. Pressure is light. There is still a lot of open water.
WEBER RIVER — Fishing success is fair. Pressure is medium to light. Anglers have reported good success near Taggart.
STRAWBERRY — Portions of some of the bays have iced over up to 9 inches thick. Still some open and very weak ice. Ice anglers are reporting good success by using many different
types of jigs tipped with bait. Anglers report good success in about 30 feet of water with just occasional jigging action and setting the hook with even the smallest nibble. Location is the key. Move around if you aren't getting a strike.
JORDANELLE — The State Park is still plowing the main boat ramp at Hailstone when needed. White jigs tipped with bait or traditional baits have worked from shoreline for trout.
PROVO — Above Olmstead, small nymphs such as Pheasant Tails and gold-ribbed Hares Ear will work best. Brassies and glo bugs also work well. Below Olmstead, fishing is good by using standard Provo River flies size 18 to 22, spinners, especially copper colored ones, or worms. Light fishing pressure.
WILLOW POND — Success has been reported as slow to fair.
Try standard fishing techniques and baits. One of the few ponds in the area that has been stocked with brown trout.
CURRANT CREEK — Reports of good fishing for small fish. The road around the reservoir is inaccessible. Road to the dam is maintained periodically through the winter.
FLAMING GORGE — All ramps except Anvil Draw, Firehole and Buckboard are open and accessible. Ice extends from the confluence to Currant Creek, and ice fishing has been good over the river channel for small lake trout, and good to excellent for rainbow trout and an occasional brown trout caught in 10 to 15 feet of water. Use small ice flies tipped with a meal worm for rainbows and small tube jigs tipped with a minnow or sucker meat for lake trout. Boat fishing for lake trout has been good in Linwood Bay and Stateline with light fishing pressure. Other good locations include Sheep Creek, Antelope, Jarvies and Anvil Draw. Look for fish 60 to 90 feet deep over points and along the river channel. Techniques include trolling bottom structure using down riggers or steel line and flatfish, crank baits, or a flasher trailing a squid or small lure; or vertical jigging using tube or bucktail jigs with or without a minnow or sucker meat.
GREEN RIVER — Some fish are still being caught using terrestrial dry fly patterns; however, most of these larger dry flies are being used as strike indicators ahead of a nymph. Good nymph patterns include olive, tan or pink scuds, size 10 to 16; San Juan worms in size 12 to 14; bead head midge, size 16 to 22; Pheasant Tails, size 16 to 20; and glo bugs. For streamer fishing, try brown, tan or olive Wooly Buggers, size 2 to 6, and light-colored bunny patterns or minnow imitations. Spin fishermen have been doing well using small Rapalas; spinners; black, brown or olive marabou jigs; and tube jigs.
PELICAN LAKE — Lake was frozen last week, but there is still lots of thin ice. Anglers report good fishing for bluegill and bass.
SCOFIELD — Ice thickness is about 6 inches. Fishing has been good. Anglers are catching predominantly rainbow trout, which range between 12 to 19 inches. Anglers have been using attractants along with ice flies or jigs, tipped with a meal worm, night crawler or cut bait. Use "hot color" attractants. Metallic and gold also work well. Change bait frequently to maximize the scent around your bait. The bite has generally been light. Setting the hook can be tricky.
FISH LAKE — Report last week said ice was unsafe. There is thicker ice on the north and south ends, but there are unsafe spots even in those areas. Access roads are not plowed to lake's edge at the ends where ice is thickest, so it's a pretty good walk to get to some safe ice. First reports of fishing through the ice are of good fishing for splake early in the morning with success slowing down later on. Try jigging a Kastmaster or Gitzit tipped with sucker or perch meat near the bottom at the weedline. Power Bait or ice flies with mealworms will work for rainbows. If things are slow in the afternoon move into the weeds and fish for perch. Any small lure tipped with a piece of bait will work. Once the ice is thicker, you can try out deeper jigging for lake trout.
PANGUITCH — Ice is now about 14 inches thick with heavy snowpack on top. Most fishing pressure has been on the north end. Fair success for 12- to 14-inch rainbows in about 22 feet of water. Try Power Bait or ice flies/mealworms, with light line and not a lot of weight. The bite tends to be light, so the lighter gear tends to help.
QUAIL LAKE — Fair fishing for small rainbow trout from shore and boats using Power Bait. Bass fishing is slow but some success in the afternoons from boats fishing deep. Slow for bluegill.
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