Bear Lake Report from Tues 1/17/2023

[BearLakeFishGuy]

We had high hopes of repeating a banner day like we had on Friday and Saturday, but I had heard things slowed down on Monday so we gave it a whirl.  We launched about 7:45 and fished the rockpile area all day....jigging. We caught 1 lakers (pic) and 1 cutthroat, along with 5 whitefish.  That was it.  The trout are feeding on cisco and the fishing for them has slowed down.  Others around us (4 other boats) did about the same.  We started in 69' and moved several times.  Even tried right on top of the pile in 38'.  No cisco yet, but we saw a few schools on the depth finder.   

Now for the bad news.  The State Park is really slacking off on maintaining the ramps.  Nothing had been plowed since early last week.  I watched one truck jackknife a trailer and damage his truck while backing down the ramp.  It took us four tries to get up the ramp after fishing with 4 wheel drive.  I asked the Bear Lake State Park why 4 full-time rangers and a full time maintenance man.....along with a plow truck/sander combo, a backhoe with scooper on the front and a brand new tractor with a large plow.....could not get anything done for over a week?  I was told their plow truck/sander was in a roll-over accident and is out of commission.  When I asked about the other equipment, I was told...."we will try to get to things when we can".  This really is unacceptable.   I ask that you write via "messenger", to the Bear Lake State Park at: (1) Bear Lake State Park, Utah | Garden City UT | Facebook
and demand that they do something with the conditions at the marina.  At $125/park pass, they sure aren't doing anything to help out the anglers.  UDOT provides all the free salt/sand, so why can't they get a load in the back of a pickup truck and spread some with a shovel on the ramps?  I know the parks grooms snowmobile trails, but other than that, with 5 full-time people and a secretary, they must be bored out of their gourds in January!  I'm sure the marina will be cleaned up nice for the big Bear Lake Monster Winterfest on January 27-29, but we would like access now!  Oh, and if access isn't bad enough, they plan to close the marina on Saturday for the polar plunge, so plan on launching somewhere else.  Why can't they leave a lane or two on the ramp open for boaters?  Put out some traffic cones and caution tape.  Seems easy enough?  If the marina is closed, then the Parks should at least put in a courtesy dock at First Point or Cisco Beach for the day so people could have an alternative place to launch?  Ok, I"m done with my rant.  Good luck out there.  I suspect the cisco will be caught from boats as early as this coming weekend and might show up along Cisco Beach shortly after.  

My friend with a decent laker.  This one went 33.75"

[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks Scott for all the info... I didn't know the ramp was going to be closed that weekend... We were planning on coming over that day with the boat, so sounds like we need to launch on the east side, thanks for that info I had planned to go on the west side... I assume if they aren't taking care of the main marina that the east side launches may be a little dicey as well... We better put a bag of salt in just in case... Thanks for the heads up... Jeff

[Lundboy54]

We had high hopes of repeating a banner day like we had on Friday and Saturday, but I had heard things slowed down on Monday so we gave it a whirl.  We launched about 7:45 and fished the rockpile area all day....jigging. We caught 1 lakers (pic) and 1 cutthroat, along with 5 whitefish.  That was it.  The trout are feeding on cisco and the fishing for them has slowed down.  Others around us (4 other boats) did about the same.  We started in 69' and moved several times.  Even tried right on top of the pile in 38'.  No cisco yet, but we saw a few schools on the depth finder.   

Now for the bad news.  The State Park is really slacking off on maintaining the ramps.  Nothing had been plowed since early last week.  I watched one truck jackknife a trailer and damage his truck while backing down the ramp.  It took us four tries to get up the ramp after fishing with 4 wheel drive.  I asked the Bear Lake State Park why 4 full-time rangers and a full time maintenance man.....along with a plow truck/sander combo, a backhoe with scooper on the front and a brand new tractor with a large plow.....could not get anything done for over a week?  I was told their plow truck/sander was in a roll-over accident and is out of commission.  When I asked about the other equipment, I was told...."we will try to get to things when we can".  This really is unacceptable.   I ask that you write via "messenger", to the Bear Lake State Park at: (1) Bear Lake State Park, Utah | Garden City UT | Facebook
and demand that they do something with the conditions at the marina.  At $125/park pass, they sure aren't doing anything to help out the anglers.  UDOT provides all the free salt/sand, so why can't they get a load in the back of a pickup truck and spread some with a shovel on the ramps?  I know the parks grooms snowmobile trails, but other than that, with 5 full-time people and a secretary, they must be bored out of their gourds in January!  I'm sure the marina will be cleaned up nice for the big Bear Lake Monster Winterfest on January 27-29, but we would like access now!  Oh, and if access isn't bad enough, they plan to close the marina on Saturday for the polar plunge, so plan on launching somewhere else.  Why can't they leave a lane or two on the ramp open for boaters?  Put out some traffic cones and caution tape.  Seems easy enough?  If the marina is closed, then the Parks should at least put in a courtesy dock at First Point or Cisco Beach for the day so people could have an alternative place to launch?  Ok, I"m done with my rant.  Good luck out there.  I suspect the cisco will be caught from boats as early as this coming weekend and might show up along Cisco Beach shortly after.  

My friend with a decent laker.  This one went 33.75"

Went Wednesday 11macs and about the same on cutts ice was really moving in on top of the marina hope we had some wind last night to move it out and keep the lake soft water for now

[BearLakeFishGuy]

Glad that you did well on Wednesday.  Its going to be highly variable fishing for the next couple of weeks.  Just depends on whether you can find some active fish that aren't stuffed with cisco already.  11 macs is great, but we've been catching mostly cutts with just a few lakers.

I brought a bucket of salt.  I understand one of the anglers went over to the UDOT sheds in Laketown and got 4 buckets of salt/sand and he brought it over to the marina himself and spread it on the ramps.   A big kudos to Brian House for doing that.  (Brian was the assistant park manager before he retired about 8 years ago).  He couldn't understand why the State Parks guys couldn't have done that!

If you're launching at 1st Point, there is about a 8" drop off at the end of the concrete ramp, so when you pull out, go slow so you don't damage your trailer axle.  Or simply don't back in past the end of the concrete.

[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks Scott for that info, hey last year they only closed the ramp during the plunge itself, we launched before and pulled out just as they were getting ready to start the plunge... Are they doing it different this year? I would still rather launch from the state park ramp if I could... I really don't want to drop a wheel over the end of the ramp, I've seen too many bad things happen when people do that... especially when the ramps are icy... Thanks Jeff

[BearLakeFishGuy]

Thanks Scott for that info, hey last year they only closed the ramp during the plunge itself, we launched before and pulled out just as they were getting ready to start the plunge... Are they doing it different this year?  I would still rather launch from the state park ramp if I could... I really don't want to drop a wheel over the end of the ramp, I've seen too many bad things happen when people do that... especially when the ramps are icy... Thanks  Jeff

I don't know.  The phone number to Bear Lake State Park is 435-946-3343. Perhaps they will answer your question.

[SkunkedAgain]

Thanks Scott, I'll check before I head over to launch there... Later Jeff

[Fishfarts]

We had high hopes of repeating a banner day like we had on Friday and Saturday, but I had heard things slowed down on Monday so we gave it a whirl.  We launched about 7:45 and fished the rockpile area all day....jigging. We caught 1 lakers (pic) and 1 cutthroat, along with 5 whitefish.  That was it.  The trout are feeding on cisco and the fishing for them has slowed down.  Others around us (4 other boats) did about the same.  We started in 69' and moved several times.  Even tried right on top of the pile in 38'.  No cisco yet, but we saw a few schools on the depth finder.   

Now for the bad news.  The State Park is really slacking off on maintaining the ramps.  Nothing had been plowed since early last week.  I watched one truck jackknife a trailer and damage his truck while backing down the ramp.  It took us four tries to get up the ramp after fishing with 4 wheel drive.  I asked the Bear Lake State Park why 4 full-time rangers and a full time maintenance man.....along with a plow truck/sander combo, a backhoe with scooper on the front and a brand new tractor with a large plow.....could not get anything done for over a week?  I was told their plow truck/sander was in a roll-over accident and is out of commission.  When I asked about the other equipment, I was told...."we will try to get to things when we can".  This really is unacceptable.   I ask that you write via "messenger", to the Bear Lake State Park at: (1) Bear Lake State Park, Utah | Garden City UT | Facebook
and demand that they do something with the conditions at the marina.  At $125/park pass, they sure aren't doing anything to help out the anglers.  UDOT provides all the free salt/sand, so why can't they get a load in the back of a pickup truck and spread some with a shovel on the ramps?  I know the parks grooms snowmobile trails, but other than that, with 5 full-time people and a secretary, they must be bored out of their gourds in January!  I'm sure the marina will be cleaned up nice for the big Bear Lake Monster Winterfest on January 27-29, but we would like access now!  Oh, and if access isn't bad enough, they plan to close the marina on Saturday for the polar plunge, so plan on launching somewhere else.  Why can't they leave a lane or two on the ramp open for boaters?  Put out some traffic cones and caution tape.  Seems easy enough?  If the marina is closed, then the Parks should at least put in a courtesy dock at First Point or Cisco Beach for the day so people could have an alternative place to launch?  Ok, I"m done with my rant.  Good luck out there.  I suspect the cisco will be caught from boats as early as this coming weekend and might show up along Cisco Beach shortly after.  

My friend with a decent laker.  This one went 33.75"

Hoping for some ciscos to net.

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It’s cold it should freeze over