Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Southern Region report

Information compiled by Mike Hadley
DWR Southern Region Aquatics Biologist

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Waterbody	Report
Baker Reservoir 2013-05-17 Fair	Rainbow trout have been stocked. The water level is dropping because of irrigation releases. Fishing is slow to fair.
Barker Reservoirs (North Creek Lakes) 2013-05-17 Good	Dougherty Basin Lake is closed to fishing until July 13. You can now drive to the Barker reservoirs. There are still a few small snowdrifts on the trails, but they should melt off soon. Fishing is fair to good. Now is a great time to target larger brook trout. Fish around structure — including logs, boulders, undercut banks, springs, inlets and floating grass mats — with marabou jigs or streamers in black, olive or purple. Small midges are hatching and can provide some good surface action. Natural baits like nightcrawlers are also effective.
Beaver Mountain Lakes 2013-05-17 Fair	Little Reservoir is accessible and ice free. Fishing is fair, and some anglers report catching tiger trout up to 10 inches long. The gate below Lower Kent's Lake is still closed. Indian Creek Reservoir has been stocked with catchable-sized rainbow trout.
Beaver River, Lower 2013-05-17 Fair	Irrigation releases have raised the river to more fishable flows. Catchable-sized rainbow trout have been stocked. Fishing is fair to good for both rainbows and browns.
Beaver River, Upper 2013-05-17 Fair	Anchor ice is gone. Flows are starting to pick up but are not excessive yet. Small brown and rainbow trout are abundant.
Boulder Mountain 2013-05-17 Good	Access continues to improve. Many areas are accessible to ATVs or four-wheel-drive trucks. There are still a few snowdrifts on the highest roads and trails under the rim, so use caution. The Boulder Top road is typically closed until mid to late June. Fishing varies from fair to fast, depending on the lake. Now is a great time to target larger brook trout. Fish around structure — including logs, boulders, undercut banks, springs, inlets and floating grass mats — with marabou jigs or streamers in black, olive or purple. Small midges are hatching and can provide some good surface action. Natural baits like nightcrawlers are also effective. Call the Quiet Fly Fisher fly shop at 435-616-2319 for up-to-date conditions and fishing reports.
Clear Creek 2013-05-17 Slow	Flows are very high and muddy. Bonneville cutthroat trout have been stocked in Clear Creek but will be fairly small this year.
Corn Creek 2013-05-17 Slow	Access should be improving, but there haven't been any recent reports on fishing success or runoff.
Duck Creek Pond / Aspen Mirror Lake 2013-05-17 Fair	Duck Creek Pond, Duck Creek and Aspen-Mirror Lake have all been stocked with catchable-sized rainbow trout. There is no snow in the area, so access is good.
East Fork Sevier River in Kingston Canyon 2013-05-17 Fair	Irrigation releases from Otter Creek Reservoir have begun. The flow is only up to 40 cfs, however, so the river is still fishable. Recent sampling found good numbers of fish. There were some very nice brown trout as well as a few rainbows and cutthroats. The Circle Valley Anglers fly shop reports fair fishing for browns and rainbows with small mayfly nymphs and streamers. Call the shop at 435-577-2168 for up-to-date conditions and fishing reports.
East Fork Sevier River, Black Canyon 2013-05-17 Slow	The river is running high and muddy with runoff. Call the Circle Valley Anglers fly shop at 435-577-2168 for up-to-date conditions and fishing reports.
East Fork Sevier River, Upper 2013-05-17 Slow	Access should be improving, but there haven't been any recent reports on fishing success or runoff.
Enterprise Reservoir, Upper 2013-05-17 Good	Anglers report good fishing for rainbows with PowerBait. Fishing is slower with lures. Smallmouth bass are also becoming more active. Recent sampling found lots of fat, healthy rainbows. Most measure 12 to 14 inches, but there are a fair number of 15- to 16-inch fish as well. The reservoir level is pretty low, so don't expect to launch boats that are longer than 20 feet or that have a deep hull. Catchable-sized rainbow trout have been stocked in the lower reservoir.
Fish Lake 2013-05-17 Fair	The ice is gone, and boats are on the lake. Fishing varies from slow to fair. Jigging or night fishing for splake is providing the best action. A few boats are trolling for lake trout, but this requires a lot of time and patience. Call the Fish Lake Lodge at 435-638-1000 or the Quiet Fly Fisher fly shop at 435-616-2319 for up-to-date conditions and fishing reports.
Forsyth Reservoir 2013-05-17 Slow	The reservoir was drained in fall 2012 for irrigation needs, and the remaining water was chemically treated to remove illegally introduced yellow perch. The reservoir is now full, but tiger and splake trout will not be available for stocking until summer. Stocked fish will be small, so fishing opportunities will be very limited during 2013.
Fremont River 2013-05-17 Good	The Quiet Fly Fisher fly shop reports that fishing on the upper Fremont has slowed down, but hatches are just starting to get underway, including a decent blue-wing olive hatch on overcast days. The river below Highway 12 is clear, and stonefly and blue-wing olive hatches have provided some good to excellent fishing. Call the shop at 435-616-2319 for up-to-date conditions and fishing reports.
Gunlock Reservoir 2013-05-17 Good	Visit the Gunlock State Park website for the boat ramp schedule. Anglers report good to excellent fishing for small crappie. Bass fishing should also be improving. There is a lot less pressure here than you will see at Sand Hollow and Quail Creek.
Gunnison Bend Reservoir 2013-05-17 Fair	Water temperatures are in the 60s at both Gunnison Bend and DMAD. Fishing is slow to fair with anglers catching a few catfish, white bass and largemouth bass. Gunnison Bend Reservoir is taking part in Cabela's Fish for Millions fishing contest. A number of catfish and bass have been tagged. Go to www.cabelas.com/fishformillions to register.
Iron County Community Fisheries 2013-05-17 Good	Catchable-sized rainbow trout have been stocked in both Leigh Hill Reservoir (Lake at the Hills) and Parowan Pond. Fishing is fair to good. Leigh Hill Reservoir is taking part in Cabela's Fish for Millions fishing contest, so look for tags on any rainbows you catch. Go to www.cabelas.com/fishformillions to register. According to recent reports, one of the tagged fish has already been caught.
Johnson Reservoir 2013-05-17 Slow	The ice is off, and access is good. Look for tiger muskie fishing to improve whenever the water clears up. Call the Quiet Fly Fisher fly shop at 435-616-2319 for up-to-date conditions and fishing reports.
Kolob Reservoir 2013-05-17 Fair	The reservoir is accessible from Virgin, and the ice is gone. Access from Cedar Canyon and Kanarraville is still impossible due to snowdrifts and downed trees. Fishing has been fair to good for fly anglers from shore. Bait fishing will be allowed at Kolob Reservoir from May 18 until September 14. The trout limit is two fish, and all trout between 15 and 22 inches must be immediately released.
Koosharem Reservoir 2013-05-17 Fair	Spring is a good time to target large cutthroat trout. Try fishing with cut bait, frozen minnows, white tube jigs or minnow-imitating lures and flies from shore.
Lower Bowns Reservoir 2013-05-17 Good	The reservoir is accessible, and the ice is gone. Fishing is good to excellent for healthy 14- to 16-inch rainbows. Call the Quiet Fly Fisher fly shop at 435-616-2319 for up-to-date conditions and fishing reports.
Mammoth Creek 2013-05-17 Slow	Mammoth Creek and the upper Sevier River in Hatch are running high and murky from runoff. Asay Creek is still low and clear. Call the Circle Valley Anglers fly shop at 435-577-2168 for up-to-date conditions and fishing reports.
Mill Meadow Reservoir 2013-05-17 Good	The reservoir has refilled. Rainbow trout have been restocked, and brown trout are moving back into the reservoir from the tributaries. Fishing for rainbows is good to excellent. All trout should grow well this year in the absence of Utah suckers.
Minersville Reservoir 2013-05-17 Good	Fishing pressure is still moderate on weekends. The Circle Valley Anglers fly shop reports good to excellent fly-fishing success, thanks to hatches of large midges. Trolling success will improve as the trout move out to deep water. Smallmouth bass are becoming more active, and wiper fishing should pick up soon.
Monroe Mountain Lakes 2013-05-17 Fair	The Box Creek reservoirs are accessible and have been stocked with rainbow trout. All other lakes are still inaccessible.
Navajo Lake 2013-05-17 Fair	The ice is off, and access is good all around the lake. There didn't appear to be any winterkill. Anglers report catching some nice splake with cut bait and frozen minnows. Fishing is often spotty but can be very good at times. Catchable-sized rainbow trout will be stocked soon.
Newcastle Reservoir 2013-05-17 Fair	Trout fishing is slowing down, but anglers are still catching some 12- to 15-inch fish. The water temperature is near 60°F, so bass and wiper fishing should pick up soon.
Otter Creek Reservoir & State Park 2013-05-17 Fair	The reservoir is 77-percent full, but irrigation releases have begun. Shore fishing has been fair to good, with the best fishing in the morning. Bait anglers are consistently catching fish. The Circle Valley Anglers fly shop reports good fishing from shore with zebra midges and woolly buggers. A recent netting survey found that rainbows are abundant and healthy. There are lots of fish in the 12- to 14-inch range, many that measure from 16 to 18 inches and a few that are longer than 20 inches. Anglers have also caught a few large brown trout, some of which weighed up to eight pounds.
Panguitch Lake 2013-05-17 Fair	Fishing is fair to good on the north and east shores. The Circle Valley Anglers fly shop reports good fishing from shore with woolly buggers, midge patterns or nymphs. You can also catch large cutthroats and tigers with minnow-imitating lures or white tube jigs tipped with cut bait.
Paragonah Reservoir 2013-05-17 Good	Bait fishing is slow right now, but the fly fishing is good. Remember that all tributary streams are closed to fishing until July 13. Paragonah Reservoir is taking part in Cabela's Fish for Millions fishing contest, so look for tags on any rainbows you catch. Go to www.cabelas.com/fishformillions to register.
Pine Lake 2013-05-17 Fair	Access is good, and catchable-sized rainbow trout should be stocked soon.
Piute Reservoir 2013-05-17 Slow	The reservoir is 91-percent full. A recent netting survey found that Utah suckers and Utah chubs are abundant. Rainbow trout numbers are down, but the fish are in good condition. There isn't much fishing pressure. Smallmouth bass fishing should pick up soon.
Quail Lake 2013-05-17 Good	Visit the Quail Creek State Park website for the current boat ramp schedule. The bass have moved up to their spawning beds in shallow water, and fishing is good. Crappie fishing is also good.
Sand Hollow Reservoir 2013-05-17 Hot	Bass fishing is good to excellent. There are lots of bass in shallow water on spawning beds, and just about any technique is working well. Early morning and late evening provide the best fishing. Crappie fishing has also been fair to good. Look for lots of boat traffic on weekends. Quagga mussels are present in Sand Hollow, so plan on extra time to have your boat washed before you leave the reservoir.
Sevier River in Marysvale Canyon 2013-05-17 Slow	Irrigation releases are higher than 350 cfs, which makes it difficult to fish.
Thousand Lake Mountain 2013-05-17 Fair	Solomon Basin is accessible from both sides. Fishing is fair to good there and at Round Lake. Deep Creek Lake should be accessible within a few weeks. Call the Quiet Fly Fisher fly shop at 435-616-2319 for up-to-date conditions and fishing reports.
Tropic Reservoir 2013-05-17 Fair	Access is good. Catchable-sized rainbow trout will be stocked soon.
Washington County Community Fisheries 2013-05-17 Good	Trout fishing will slow down as the weather gets warmer, while bass and bluegill will become more active.
Wide Hollow Reservoir 2013-05-17 Good	The state park reports good trout fishing. Anglers are also catching a few largemouth bass in the one- to two-pound range.
Yankee Meadow Reservoir 2013-05-17 Good	The reservoir is accessible, and fishing is good from the shoreline. Anglers are catching nice rainbows, some up to 16 inches long. PowerBait, nightcrawlers and fly fishing have all been effective.