I'm looking to take a 3-4 day vacation during P-day weekend down to Southern Utah to meet some in-laws from Vegas. We want to get some good fishin' in and were wondering where you all would recommend going. Fish Lake, Otter Creek, Piute Res, Johnson Res. and potentially even some Boulder Mountain Lakes (like Donkey - if you think that my 4Runner could get to them?) are the major lakes that I know of down there. If you had a couple of days and wanted one day of catching lots of fish for the kids, and then wanted to get a big mac or brookie, where would you go??? We are debating between staying at the Fish Lake Resort, Circleville, Richfield or Torrey area.
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If you want to fish lakes on the Boulder, you better check your proclamation first to see which lakes are legal to fish this time of year...
http://www.wildlife.utah.gov/proclamatio...ishing.pdf
What do you and your in-laws want to catch? Do you want to keep some to eat? Are you more interested in numbers, or size, or both?
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The proc made it seem that Donkey and Blind would be OK to ice fish (open year around). I would love to catch some perch eat and will probably fish Fish Lake once for that and for the inlaws. I'm looking for advice on how to catch some big fish at those lakes and if the road to Donkey would be possible.
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for big fish in that area fish lake would be your best bet! but fish lake is mighty stingy with it's big fish.. now if you like fat good fighting rainbow's otter creek allways good for some of them..
good luck
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How big are the perch this year at Fish Lake and does anyone know which of the Boulder Mountain lakes that are open can be reached with a 4Runner (like Donkey)? Thanks for the reports so far!
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the perch are small in fish lake.. mill meadow would be a better bet in that area.. sorry i have not been on the Boulder's for a long time so dont know much about them..
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How do you get to Mill Meadow and is it possible to catch a tiger muskie through the ice at Fish Lake?
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there again better chance at mill meadow for tiger's than fish lake.. it's on the other side of fish lake by Loa.
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You probably have a better chance of winning the lottery than catching a tiger muskie at Fish Lake or Mill Meadow Reservoir. Do a search in Google for Mill Meadow Reservoir and you will get all the information that you need.
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Not for sure this year but in years past only way into donkey this late in the season is snow machine. But mill meadows is a nice place to go, you have a chance at tiger trout, bows, perch, ect. plus it is real easy to find and if yopu stay in a motel in loa you are only 20 min from the lake.
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i think your right about winning the lottery over catching a tiger at fish lake.. but not so sure about mill meadow my friend.. i think you have a better chance catching a tiger musky through the ice at mill meadow than at pinview!! for a long time the dwr have been dumping musky in johnson res.. but the musky dont seem to like it there so they move.. they go up stream to fish lake or down to mill meadow.. i think there is a lot more musky in mill meadow then in ether of the other two lakes..
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You may be right. Have you heard any reports of tigers being caught at Mill Meadow?
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yes i have heard reports of tigers in Mill Meadow last summer.. in mill meadow you can use big bait it's not restricted like johnson and pinview.. and there is not a size lemit ether.. might be the best bet in the state other then one other place i know and i'm not telling that one..
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jacksonman -- don't waste your time trying to get to Donkey. Even if you get there, the brook trout are nothing worth pursuing. If you really want to fish the Boulder, go to Blind. You'll have a good chance at some big Splake there, as well as nice cutts and rainbows.
If you want nicer rainbows (17-20" average), like Fuzzball said, go to Otter Creek.
If you want some nice hybrids (Tiger Trout, Splake) go try either Mill Meadow or Forsythe.
If you want lots and lots of smaller splake (14-18") with an oppertunity at a 20# lake trout, then go to Fish Lake.
If you want a Tiger Musky, go to Pineview. Sure, you might get lucky at Mill Meadow or Fish Lake, but chances are extremely slim at catching one at either place.
Contrary to what the Fuzzball says, Johnson is actually showing signs of life with the Tiger Musky. Anglers have reported good action for TM's in the summer. I wouldn't waste my time through the ice. The hardest part with Johnson is competition. You're bait will be competing with the real thing there -- the lake chuck full of live bait.
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So anyone fish Mill Meadow recently?
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what about piute are the trout about the same as otter creek we are headed there feb 10 also will a 4 wheeler work or is a snow machine better thanks for any enfo havee never fished ethier water. but fuzzy your the man lay some enfo on me.
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i have not fished Piute or otter creek in a lot of years.. i've heard for friends and guy's around town here that they are doing very good this year with lot's of rainbow in the 18" size but nice and fat! them 2 lake have allways been known to grow big fat rainbows.. the normal trout stuff should catch them.. a white 1 1/2 tube would be my first try i think..
good luck to ya.
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In reply to where to go fishing, I would not venture up on the Boulder this time of year. Even if road conditions permit you get up there, the weather changes so fast up there you could get stuck and not be able to get out for days. I went up last May, the weather was fabulous, hiked down into my favorite lake and was there maybe twenty minutes when it started to hail and then snow. It took me over three hours to get back to my truck and then the adventure really started. All this talk though has gave me a bug to go up there and try the ice.
Anyways, Otter Creek and Piute have both been pretty good. Otter has been under some serious pressure, but it is still fishing great for 2 pounders and a few cutthroat as well. My dad actually lost a pole down his hole the other day because a fish hit it and took off. But he also came home with a couple nice four pound bows. Your basic ice fishing techniques have been working. Some of the locals at Otter have been tipping their tubes and ice flies with canned shrimp and I have even heard of a couple smallmouths being caught near the damn. For consistent action for kids, Panguitch Lake is great. Nothing huge there, but steady action which would be fun for the kids.
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