Fishing Forum

Bear Lake Friday after turkey day. Any new reports.
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I heard rumors of whitefish runnin around that time of year. dont know much other than that but like i said just rumors.... I just hope bear lake gives us some ice this year.

Maybe we can get mr. Scotty T. to fill us in on the status of the bon whitefish.........
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Cowboy, if you are after the Cutthroats, fish anywhere in 80-90 feet of water and you will find them. Troll rapalas within a few feet of the bottom at 2 mph and you will catch fish. My best luck comes with Tail Dancers. You might even catch a Lake Trout but if you plan on keeping them I hope you don't. I fish out there religiously and catch plenty of fish, I also put every one of them back. I was out there a few days ago and watched some guys catch a 15 lb Lake Trout and smack it over the head with a bat. Disgusting, there is no way a 15-20 lb fish tastes good, its 20 years old in Bear Lake!! People will say if you cook it right or put this on it or put that on it, well basically you just put enough other stuff on it that you cant taste the fish anymore, yummy!! Go catch the 2 lb cutthroats and take them home or the 3 lb Lakers, leave everything else please.
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As for the Bonneville whitefish run at Bear Lake: Its not yet on. This Thanksgiving falls a little early and the fish just aren't in the shallows yet. I would guess the whitefish run will likely begin after Thanksgiving but more likely the week after Turkey Day. Typically by Dec 1st the fish are easily caught. This year the lake is about 5-6 feet lower than last year. I think off the marina in Garden City will be good and I think it will be better fishing along the east side (Cisco Beach, 1st and 2nd Points) since there is less rock under the water and fish will be more concentrated on what is left in the water! Use small jigs (1/8 or 1/16 oz), small spinner (#1 or smaller) and small spoons. You can also catch them on a fly rod using a sinking line with a wooly bugger worked very close or on bottom. Try water about 5-15' deep.
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Act like there are only a couple 15 pound lakers in there. You would be surprised on how good one tastes. I had some of that big kamloops trout out of American falls the new record fish. And it tasted really good. I know a few people that fish bear lake allot and from my understanding there are more big fish in the 10/15 pound range then most people think. No need to harp on some one for keeping a trophy fish, if all that is taken are the small ones then there will be no big ones. Look at slot limits almoast every where that has a slot limit has gone down hill. Before the slot there were plenty of big fish soon as the slot came in the big fish went away. Bear lake is a great fishery with more big fish than you could shake a stick at. Just because there big doesnt mean they are old..
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No doubt there are a lot of 15 lb fish in Bear Lake and there are fish getting over 20 lbs these days. They have been planting Lake Trout in Bear Lake since the 60's, over 50 years!!! Why no 30 lber's?? Lots of food, so many Cisco you can snag them with a bare hook, two species of Whitefish, why no 30 lber's?? First, the lake trout that have been planted do not reproduce although they do go through the motions. Ask any bioligist the success rate of planting 10,000 fingerlings, and then ask them how many of those make it to 15 years. Second, Utah won't plant Lake Trout and Idaho plants all the Lake Trout. Utah wants another family fishery full of Cutthroats and Rainbow Trout that anybody can catch. If Idaho ever quits planting Lake Trout, which is possible if Utah has any say, say goodbye to the Lake Trout because they aren't reproducing on their own. Be proactive in their success by taking a picture and releasing them, most end up in the garbage can anyway.
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From my understanding is the water conditions of bear lake just are not right for the lake trout to get much bigger than 20lbs. No doubt there is enough food and bear lake doesnt get fished all that hard, there are a few months out of the year where it gets hammered but for the most part it isnt fished to much. My guess is because bank fishing from bear lake is just to hard. But the lack of 30 pound lakers is from water quality. Bear lake doesnt have the right stuff to make giant lake trout. Although a 15 pound lake trout is plenty big to satisfy most people.
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thanks for the update i getting ready for it
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I find it depends when you catch them. If you catch them right after the spawn like now. no point in keeping them. the meet tends to be all mushed up not so good to eat. Any other time they aren't too bad, but any over about 3 lbs are not ideal eating alot of fat on them. I try to keep cuts that are about 15"-20" good eaters. And I always bleed them out, tends to help reduce semi fishy taste thats associated with wild trout.
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