Bear Lake Fishing Report – Thursday, January 27, 2022
The Bonneville cisco run has begun and should continue for the next week. The cisco began running along the shoreline on Wednesday 1/26/22 and anglers were able to dip limits that morning. They were also able to dip limits Thursday and Friday. The lake has open water, so it would be helpful to bring waders, hip boots or muck boots. Dipnetting for cisco should be good until about the first week of February.
Boats can be launched at the Bear Lake State Park marina, as well as 1st Point and Rainbow Cove and the courtesy docks are in place at all locations, however, they may need to be removed at 1st Point and Rainbow Cove if the lake starts to freeze.
A lot of ice has been forming on the lake in large sheets and is being pushed around by wind. Boat access to the lake will be dependent on how much ice forms and where the wind is blowing it. Currently the boats are able to access most of the lake including the rockpile area.
Fishing for cutthroat trout, lake trout and whitefish has s been very good at Bear Lake and is expected to stay that way through January. Cisco are also being caught are from boats off the rockpile, the pumphouse and off the marina.
Anglers are doing the best using jigs or spoons for cutthroat trout, lake trout and whitefish. A few anglers are also trolling and doing fair for cutthroat and lake trout. During the peak of the cisco run, which we are at right now, the fishing will typically slow down for a week or two while the cutthroat and lake trout gorge themselves with cisco. Fishing will then pick up once again. When jigging, use a ½ to 1 ounce jig with a tube, twister tail or swim bait tipped with a piece of cisco or other fish meat. Or you can use a 1/2 ounce jigging spoon such as a Kastmaster or Swedish Pimple. Jig right on the bottom, bumping bottom and coming up about 12-18”. Many of the strikes happen when the lure is falling back to the bottom, so pay attention to your line. If you notice the lure/line stops sinking, set hook and hold on! The best luck is coming in 40-70’ of water and good spots have been off the “rockpile” at Ideal Beach and also off 2nd point on the east side of the lake. Another good spot is the rockpiles just north of the Utah State Park marina in about 40’ of water. Remember, all foul-hooked sport fish, other than cisco, must be immediately released.
Anglers who are trolling are using downriggers in the same depths as jigging but using flatfish and jointed minnow-type lures fished very close to bottom or even bumping the bottom occasionally. The same areas listed above for jigging are also the areas to target when trolling.
Anglers who are fishing from shore are having a difficult time off of marina right now due to ice conditions. However, the area off Cisco Beach has been open and anglers are catching some nice cutthroat from shore. They are casting large (#5 or #6) Mepps or Blue Fox Vibrax spinners or large spoons like Dardevles. Fly anglers are also catching some nice fish using large sculpin patterns or streamers in bright colors. You can also still-fish in these same areas using cisco, sucker or other fish for bait.
If you are targeting Bonneville whitefish whitefish use a ¼-1/2 ounce vertical jigging spoon such as a Kastmaster or Swedish Pimple and tip the spoon with a salmon egg or meal worm. Whitefish feed on cisco eggs so jig the spoon right on the bottom where the cisco spawn (rockpile off Ideal Beach, off the Utah State Park marina, east side pump hour or along Cisco Beach). Try fishing in anywhere from 15’-45’ of water. You can also use 1/8 ounce jigs in a variety of colors (white, black and yellow are all popular) and tip the jig with a piece of worm or meal worm. It really helps to use a braided line/super line with a 4-5’ long monofilament leader in order to feel the bottom with the lightweight lures and to detect the whitefish bites. Don’t be surprised if you hook into a big cutthroat and/or lake trout while fishing for the whitefish.
Remember the trout limit is two fish. Large lake trout take a long time to reach large sizes, and while they are legal to keep, many anglers are encouraging other anglers to release them.
The Bonneville cisco run has begun and should continue for the next week. The cisco began running along the shoreline on Wednesday 1/26/22 and anglers were able to dip limits that morning. They were also able to dip limits Thursday and Friday. The lake has open water, so it would be helpful to bring waders, hip boots or muck boots. Dipnetting for cisco should be good until about the first week of February.
Boats can be launched at the Bear Lake State Park marina, as well as 1st Point and Rainbow Cove and the courtesy docks are in place at all locations, however, they may need to be removed at 1st Point and Rainbow Cove if the lake starts to freeze.
A lot of ice has been forming on the lake in large sheets and is being pushed around by wind. Boat access to the lake will be dependent on how much ice forms and where the wind is blowing it. Currently the boats are able to access most of the lake including the rockpile area.
Fishing for cutthroat trout, lake trout and whitefish has s been very good at Bear Lake and is expected to stay that way through January. Cisco are also being caught are from boats off the rockpile, the pumphouse and off the marina.
Anglers are doing the best using jigs or spoons for cutthroat trout, lake trout and whitefish. A few anglers are also trolling and doing fair for cutthroat and lake trout. During the peak of the cisco run, which we are at right now, the fishing will typically slow down for a week or two while the cutthroat and lake trout gorge themselves with cisco. Fishing will then pick up once again. When jigging, use a ½ to 1 ounce jig with a tube, twister tail or swim bait tipped with a piece of cisco or other fish meat. Or you can use a 1/2 ounce jigging spoon such as a Kastmaster or Swedish Pimple. Jig right on the bottom, bumping bottom and coming up about 12-18”. Many of the strikes happen when the lure is falling back to the bottom, so pay attention to your line. If you notice the lure/line stops sinking, set hook and hold on! The best luck is coming in 40-70’ of water and good spots have been off the “rockpile” at Ideal Beach and also off 2nd point on the east side of the lake. Another good spot is the rockpiles just north of the Utah State Park marina in about 40’ of water. Remember, all foul-hooked sport fish, other than cisco, must be immediately released.
Anglers who are trolling are using downriggers in the same depths as jigging but using flatfish and jointed minnow-type lures fished very close to bottom or even bumping the bottom occasionally. The same areas listed above for jigging are also the areas to target when trolling.
Anglers who are fishing from shore are having a difficult time off of marina right now due to ice conditions. However, the area off Cisco Beach has been open and anglers are catching some nice cutthroat from shore. They are casting large (#5 or #6) Mepps or Blue Fox Vibrax spinners or large spoons like Dardevles. Fly anglers are also catching some nice fish using large sculpin patterns or streamers in bright colors. You can also still-fish in these same areas using cisco, sucker or other fish for bait.
If you are targeting Bonneville whitefish whitefish use a ¼-1/2 ounce vertical jigging spoon such as a Kastmaster or Swedish Pimple and tip the spoon with a salmon egg or meal worm. Whitefish feed on cisco eggs so jig the spoon right on the bottom where the cisco spawn (rockpile off Ideal Beach, off the Utah State Park marina, east side pump hour or along Cisco Beach). Try fishing in anywhere from 15’-45’ of water. You can also use 1/8 ounce jigs in a variety of colors (white, black and yellow are all popular) and tip the jig with a piece of worm or meal worm. It really helps to use a braided line/super line with a 4-5’ long monofilament leader in order to feel the bottom with the lightweight lures and to detect the whitefish bites. Don’t be surprised if you hook into a big cutthroat and/or lake trout while fishing for the whitefish.
Remember the trout limit is two fish. Large lake trout take a long time to reach large sizes, and while they are legal to keep, many anglers are encouraging other anglers to release them.
![[Image: Scott-cisco-with-TDs-lure.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/Sc0QLy5/Scott-cisco-with-TDs-lure.jpg)