ABAJO MOUNTAINS: Conservation officer Dennis Shumway reports slow fishing in San Juan County because of recent wind storms. Blanding three and four reservoirs have been stocked. For trout, try using PowerBait at Blanding four. Monticello Lake and Foy Reservoir are still capped with ice.
CARBON COUNTY COMMUNITY FISHING POND: Conservation officer James Thomas reports fair to good fishing using worms or PowerBait. Fairground employees recommend artificial flies or lures.
HUNTINGTON NORTH RESERVOIR: Fishing is slow for both boat and shoreline anglers. On March 29, Tom Ogden fly fished from a kick boat. He failed to catch a single fish in over three hours, which is a rare event for him.
LA SAL MOUNTAINS: Conservation officer Tj Robertson reports fair fishing at Ken’s Lake. Anglers are using PowerBait and a variety of spinners. Ken’s Lake and the Rattlesnake ponds have been stocked.
MILLSITE RESERVOIR & STATE PARK: On April 8, Calvin Black and Dan Keller fished from a boat along the face of the dam in 20 to 30 feet of water. Once they located fish with a graph, fishing was excellent. PowerBait worked better than jigs, spinners, or tube jigs tipped with chub meat. They had the most success using chartreuse PowerBait with glitter. Rainbow trout averaged 14 to 16 inches and weighed between one and two pounds. Splake ranged from 15 to 17 inches long and weighed a little more than a pound.
SCOFIELD RESERVOIR: The ice fishing season is over and the shoreline is opening up. On April 17, Utah State Park Manager Jonathan Hunt reported that there were 50 to 100 feet of open water around much of the reservoir. Boaters will need to wait another week or more, but it’s the perfect time for small watercraft like kick boats. Fishing is mixed. Experienced anglers have been doing well, while others have been going home without hooking a single fish.
Here are a few recommendations for Easter weekend anglers:
- Bait anglers should try using chartreuse or rainbow PowerBait with glitter in addition to a container of worms and nightcrawlers. Anglers might also want to bring chubs, sucker meat or dead minnows. If the ice sheet is within casting distance, throw bait onto the ice and drag it off. If not, try fishing off the bottom. If that fails, put a bobber on the line and suspend bait at a variety of water depths. If all else fails, change locations.
- For the anglers who prefer spincasting, try using several sizes of gold and silver Jakes Spin-a-lures and Kastmasters or, if those fail, try a favorite standby. Retrieve at different speeds and from a variety of depths.
- For those who prefer to throw jigs, or soft plastics, try watermelon or pumpkin with or without glitter and flecks are good choices. Plain white and brown jigs have worked well. Try working them with and without bait or scent.
- Crankbaits can also be effective. Bring along a few with dark backs and white bellies, and a few with a green back and orange belly.
There will be a lot of anglers fishing at Scofield over the holiday weekend, so be there at daybreak for the best fishing.