Lost Lake 7-15-20

[Riffle]

Had a few hours available yesterday and decided to fish Lost lake from the tube. It's always nice to get up into the thin air and take in the amazing country we living here in Utah are blessed with. Early on the fish were taking small dries and later in the morning I caught them slow trolling with a balanced leech and a renegade trailer.

[Joe_Dizzy]

Had a few hours available yesterday and decided to fish Lost lake from the tube. It's always nice to get up into the thin air and take in the amazing country we living here in Utah are blessed with. Early on the fish were taking small dries and later in the morning I caught them slow trolling with a balanced leech and a renegade trailer.

Yes, it's that time of year... head to the high country! Thanks for the report and pics.

I was on Mirror Lake Sunday but total circus by 10:00 am. I landed half dozen of the smallest hatchery rainbows I have ever seen before encountering a problem with my tube... DNR should have held them for another year

[fishalot13]

I thought I read that the DNR was going to release bigger fish? The studies show that is=t is a better idea? Sorry went off memory instead of finding the facts.

[Riffle]

I thought I read that the DNR was going to release bigger fish? The studies show that is=t is a better idea?  Sorry went off memory instead of finding the facts.

Unfortunately the "put and take" lakes off of the Mirror Lake Highway usually only get stocked with 8 to 10 inch fish. It would be nice if they occasionally put in a few bigger fish, but still fun to catch them on ultra light gear!

[Joe_Dizzy]

I thought I read that the DNR was going to release bigger fish? The studies show that is=t is a better idea?  Sorry went off memory instead of finding the facts.

These fish at Mirror Lake were so small that I could not keep enough pressure on most of them to stay hooked... they kept getting dragged around by the wind blowing on the fly line.

I was hoping to find a few holdover fish that might be larger, but just too many runts getting in the way. I had visions of battling 11-12 inch Tiger Trout with some color too them. Instead I got slime rockets barely making the 7 inch mark.

Don't understand why the DNR cannot pick 1 or 2 lakes up there to manage for quality/trophy fish similar to the plan for Boulder Mtn.

[fishalot13]

I agree two or three lakes in an area like mirror lake would be good for a trophy fishery. Tough with the food up there though. I found this on the DNR web site meant to inform us why they do what they do. https://wildlife.utah.gov/news/wildlife-...cking.html

[Joe_Dizzy]

I agree two or three lakes in an area like mirror lake would be good for a trophy fishery.  Tough with the food up there though.  I found this on the DNR web site meant to inform us why they do what they do.  https://wildlife.utah.gov/news/wildlife-...cking.html

Good point on the food availability, but same could be said for most man-made alpine lake fisheries in the Rockies. I read a story on Finnis Mitchell and how he personally stocked hundreds of lakes in the Wind River Range via horseback. Many of those lakes were devoid of fish life and are still self-sustaining populations today dating back to Finnis’ horse & milk jug stocking efforts.
 
Biologists say that the trade-off of introducing fish to these remote, sterile lakes is that we are leapfrogging the natural aging of these lakes. Most that are stocked on a regular basis are quite fertile now and well into the aging process. Of course, this is all 100,000-year talk as the Rockies naturally age, wear, and these lakes become lower and naturally more fertile. Instead of being oligotrophic lakes transitioning to mesotrophic lakes, they will already be eutrophic lakes or swamps transitioning to nothing.
 
You can see this in the roadside lakes in the Uintas. Given their elevation they should be relatively infertile, but since they get over-stuffed with so many adult fish the basins and shoals are already very silty and weedy. Midges (mud burrowers) which are supposed to be relatively scare at elevation are very common in the Uintas. Guess that’s a long way of saying that these lakes are more fertile than they should be already and probably have the potential to produce quality fish if managed correctly. Unfortunately, we will never know under the current plan to annually stuff every accessible lake with thousands of adult rainbows and over-breeding brookies.

[fishalot13]

In places like mirror lake the people want to catch fish so they get stock ers. Some lakes that are just a bit off the highway have time to grow a little bigger. I do feel lucky to have places to fish and such a verity!

[Joe_Dizzy]

In places like mirror lake the people want to catch fish so they get stock ers. Some lakes that are just a bit off the highway have time to grow a little bigger.  I do feel lucky to have places to fish and such a verity!

Agreed Mirror Lake is a slime rocket factory, which doesn't really explain the addition of Brook Trout fingerlings. Just surprised at the poor quality of the fish... can't imagine how many 6-7 inch rainbows are needed for a family fish fry. Beautiful place to fish, but as a fisherman, I will not be returning.

Trial Lake and Washington Lake are interesting targets for me... they're basically right next door to each other, similar size, and similar species distribution. Would be interesting to see a slot limit (or dare I say, C&R regulation) imposed on one of these lakes... stocking via fingerlings only - just like the lakes back in the bush. Both lakes large enough to absorb the percentage of poaching likely to occur as well.

Dare to dream

[Joe_Hill]

In places like mirror lake the people want to catch fish so they get stock ers. Some lakes that are just a bit off the highway have time to grow a little bigger.  I do feel lucky to have places to fish and such a verity!

Agreed Mirror Lake is a slime rocket factory, which doesn't really explain the addition of Brook Trout fingerlings. Just surprised at the poor quality of the fish... can't imagine how many 6-7 inch rainbows are needed for a family fish fry. Beautiful place to fish, but as a fisherman, I will not be returning.

Trial Lake and Washington Lake are interesting targets for me... they're basically right next door to each other, similar size, and similar species distribution. Would be interesting to see a slot limit (or dare I say, C&R regulation) imposed on one of these lakes... stocking via fingerlings only - just like the lakes back in the bush. Both lakes large enough to absorb the percentage of poaching likely to occur as well.

Dare to dream

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Mirror Lake does have some very large rainbow trout. They are the ones eating the stockers. You aren’t going to catch those with small flies or leeches. Try very early or late season on a cloudy evening. Throw something that mimics the 6-10 inch trout they feed on. C and R is going to results in very high mortality with those fishing worms. There are something like 600 lakes in the Unitas. The very few roadside ones are likely to remain catch and release. The roadside ones aren’t all super productive any ways. I recall as Lost Lake was starting to ice out 17 years ago, my 5 yo son caught his first fish without any help from anyone. It was a 19 inch rainbow. The skinny thing probably didn’t weigh more than a pound. We caught many roughly 6-8 inch rookies I recall. It’s unlikely to become a trophy lake no matter what you do with it.
Finding a lake with descent fish takes some work and may change year to year. Don’t expect DWR to line up big fish for you at drive up spots in the Unitas. You can follow stocking reports and see where they occasionally dump old brood stock if that’s what you’re interested in. I much prefer catching wild trout even if it isn’t always convenient. I actually enjoy the solitude that usually comes with the pursuit. I see the roadside lakes mostly for kids, when you just don’t have the time to hike some or the snow is still too deep to make hiking practically.

[Joe_Dizzy]

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Mirror Lake does have some very large rainbow trout. They are the ones eating the stockers. You aren’t going to catch those with small flies or leeches. Try very early or late season on a cloudy evening. Throw something that mimics the 6-10 inch trout they feed on. C and R is going to results in very high mortality with those fishing worms. There are something like 600 lakes in the Unitas. The very few roadside ones are likely to remain catch and release. The roadside ones aren’t all super productive any ways. I recall as Lost Lake was starting to ice out 17 years ago, my 5 yo son caught his first fish without any help from anyone. It was a 19 inch rainbow. The skinny thing probably didn’t weigh more than a pound. We caught many roughly 6-8 inch rookies I recall. It’s unlikely to become a trophy lake no matter what you do with it.
Finding a lake with descent fish takes some work and may change year to year. Don’t expect DWR to line up big fish for you at drive up spots in the Unitas. You can follow stocking reports and see where they occasionally dump old brood stock if that’s what you’re interested in. I much prefer catching wild trout even if it isn’t always convenient. I actually enjoy the solitude that usually comes with the pursuit. I see the roadside lakes mostly for kids, when you just don’t have the time to hike some or the snow is still too deep to make hiking practically.

Interesting about big 'bows on Mirror Lake... maybe I'll take a run up there with some articulated streamers later this year. Appreciate the tip.

I don't necessarily need big fish to be happy... but catching near-fingerlings is just weird. My biggest problem is that I like to get out in my float tube, so more/less restricted to lakes at, or close to, the road for that. I've hiked to many lakes in the Uintas and honestly have yet to get into really good fishing. I guess I just need to keep knocking on that door until I finally find something exciting to motivate me to keep after it.