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Full Version: BEAR LAKE ICE CONDITIONS & FISHING REPORT 1/20/04
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[size 1]BEAR LAKE FISHING REPORT - 1/20/2004

Updated Tuesday, 1/20/2004. The Bear Lake is totally ice covered and the ice is anywhere from 5-6" thick. Access down to the shoreline is available at 150 S. Street in Garden City and in front of the Ideal Beach Resort in Garden City. There is a charge to access through this private property however they have provided a plowed road down to the edge of the ice. The snow around shoreline of the lake has settled considerably and ranges from about 8-12" deep. There have been some snowmobiles and 4-wheelers on the ice, but please use caution since there are many springs in Bear Lake that can create thin spots and even open holes.

The cisco run will peak sometime this week and then begin to taper off towards the end of the weekend. There have been no cisco seen along the shore of the State Park marina, however ice fishermen are snagging cisco while fishing in deeper water east of the marina dikes. You will have to bring an axe or a spud bar to chop a hole through the ice in order to dip the fish. If you do not own a cisco net, it might be wise to buy one soon. Some of the sporting goods stores in the city are already sold out however nets are still available at the local tackle shops around the lake. Ice fishing for cutthroat trout and lake trout has been only fair, as is usually the case during the cisco run. Still, some nice cutthroat trout have been taken off the east side off 1st and 2nd points and off Cisco Beach. Fishing on the rockpile and off Gus Rich Point are also fair. Lures of choice for trout fishing include vertical jigging spoons (such as castmasters and Swedish pimples) tipped with cisco or tube jigs tipped with cisco. For whitefish try using ice flys (teardrops) tied about 6-12" below a small jigging spoon. Remember the cisco daily limit and possession limit is 30 cisco. That means that once you catch 30 cisco that is your limit. Unless you eat those fish or use them for bait, then you are not allowed to possess any additional cisco. Many anglers think they can keep 30 fish each day and store the remainder in their freezer....that is NOT correct and you will be ticketed! The Bear Lake office of Wildlife Resources began monitoring the Cisco Beach and State Park marina area on a daily basis last weekend. You can listen to daily reports by calling the office after 4:00pm. The number is 435-946-8501. PLEASE ONLY CALL AFTER 4:00PM.[/size]
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Thanks for the report. Also, it was nice to have met you Sat. The food was great!

Best Wishes, KJFN
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Thanks for the update, it sounds like the ice is getting thicker by the day but I'm surprised anyone would get on the Rock pile with an ATV or a snowmobile. WH2
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]We'll be on the lake with sleds tomorrow. 5-6 in of ice is plenty![/size][/font]
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Thanks for the report. I will be down there this week end trying my luck.
I am heading up there on sunday,no sled. Rock pile is a long walk from a parking place isn't it?

maybe I will go off Cisco beach.
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It depends on what you are trying to catch but it is around a 1/4 of a mile to the area we usually fish for cisco and 1/2 mile to deeper water for macks and cutts. We have caught a few cutts in closer, the walk isn't too bad. WH2
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The whole lake isn't 5 to 6 inches thick. I was up there yesterday to get my ciscoss. Cisco Beach only had about 2 1/2 inches of ice. While over at the weed beds had about close to 5 inches. So ice on the lake verys from place to place.

I fished the weed beds for about 3 hours and only caught 3 cutts 2 17 inchers and a 18 inchers. A guy that had an aqua veiw said theres cisco and hog lakers and cutts everywhere on the bottom.
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Which weed beds did you fish?
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bow boy,go to the Bear Lake archives and there are tons of info there !!M.H.
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How deep was the water you were fishing in at the weed beds?
Those fish have so much to eat during the cisco spawn it's amazing that they will even take a jig. WH2
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