03-24-2008, 06:10 PM
GENERAL: Lower elevation waters have thawed. Ice may be soft at mid- or even upper elevation waters. It's extremely important to observe the "buddy system." Carry a rescue rope and floatation device. Each person should carry a pair of hand ice picks on his person. Follow trails made by others. Drill a test hole close to shore to determine ice thickness and hardness.
HUNTINGTON CREEK: On March 5, Tom Ogden fished an open water stretch along the snowbound creek. Fishing wasn't very productive, but he caught two pan-size browns with a #14 beadhead hares ear. That pattern continues to be the most highly recommended fish-catcher.<br />
HUNTINGTON NORTH STATE PARK DWR: Volunteer Services Coordinator Randall Stilson reports large areas of open water. Ice fishing is definitely unsafe. Please wait until ice-off.<br />
JOE'S VALLEY RESERVOIR: No recent report. This water has special regulations. Please refer to the Fishing Guidebook.<br />
LAKE POWELL: Visit http://www.wayneswords.com/ for the latest fishing report, provided by Wayne Gustaveson, DWR project leader.<br />
LOWER FISH CREEK: Tom Ogden started fishing about two miles below the dam on March 11 and fished up the creek. He noted a midge hatch occurring most of the day and fish were taking emergers from the surface. Tom reported a lot of fish in the slow section below the railroad bridge. He used a size 14 hares ear and caught one fish after the next until his fly was in shreds. Most of Tom's fish ranged from 11 to 14 inches, but he did catch one that measured 16 inches. Two were rainbows and the rest were browns. The creek's flow continues to be about 50 cfs.<br />
MILLSITE RESERVOIR: Ice-fishing is over for the year. Tom Ogden fly-fished Millsite from a float tube on March 20 near the dam. From 10:30 a.m. until 3 p.m., he caught 11 rainbows between 11 and 14 inches long. Tom used #3 uniform sinking line with a #10 black/green wooly bugger. Most of the fish were caught while he was trolling.<br />
SAN JUAN COUNTY: The ice-fishing season is over, except for high elevation waters on the LaSal Mountains, where access is limited to snow machine. Aquatics Biologist Darek Elverud fished Ken's Lake on March 9. He reported slow fishing with spinners, but fair success with bait.<br />
SCOFIELD RESERVOIR: Lt. Carl Gramlich fished on March 16 at the mouth of the dam cove. "Fishing has improved dramatically over what it was a month ago," says Carl. He caught seven fish in 2.5 hours, using a white jig, baited with minnows or crawlers. His fish were 14 inchers, although he said other anglers appeared to have a few larger fish, somewhere around 17 to 19 inches. Carl advises anglers to either bring an auger extension or shovel to remove the top layers of snow, slush and bad ice. Carl recommended fishing from 9 a.m. to noon.<br />
On the Utah fishing forum at www.bigfishtackle.com, a thread posted on March 15 indicated fast fishing action until 10 a.m. Chester wrote that he caught 19 fish in a little more than two hours. He fished in 11 feet of water with a white jig, tipped with a crawler. Chester talked to another party closer to shore that had a lot of fish on the ice. Four of their tigers were over 18 inches. Chester indicated that the ice was in better shape than it had been two weeks earlier.<br />
On March 10, Conservation Officer Mike Milburn fished Scofield. He reported that ice conditions were safe at that time. Total snow cover and ice together measured about 36 inches. Mike said an auger extension might be needed. His party fished the west side in 12 to 14 feet of water. Each fisherman hooked a near limit of fish. Milburn used a small attractor with a 10-inch dropper and small ice fly, tipped with a piece of nightcrawler. He also tried a small plastic minnow jig without any bait, but the jig had to be moving all the time to entice a strike.
HUNTINGTON CREEK: On March 5, Tom Ogden fished an open water stretch along the snowbound creek. Fishing wasn't very productive, but he caught two pan-size browns with a #14 beadhead hares ear. That pattern continues to be the most highly recommended fish-catcher.<br />
HUNTINGTON NORTH STATE PARK DWR: Volunteer Services Coordinator Randall Stilson reports large areas of open water. Ice fishing is definitely unsafe. Please wait until ice-off.<br />
JOE'S VALLEY RESERVOIR: No recent report. This water has special regulations. Please refer to the Fishing Guidebook.<br />
LAKE POWELL: Visit http://www.wayneswords.com/ for the latest fishing report, provided by Wayne Gustaveson, DWR project leader.<br />
LOWER FISH CREEK: Tom Ogden started fishing about two miles below the dam on March 11 and fished up the creek. He noted a midge hatch occurring most of the day and fish were taking emergers from the surface. Tom reported a lot of fish in the slow section below the railroad bridge. He used a size 14 hares ear and caught one fish after the next until his fly was in shreds. Most of Tom's fish ranged from 11 to 14 inches, but he did catch one that measured 16 inches. Two were rainbows and the rest were browns. The creek's flow continues to be about 50 cfs.<br />
MILLSITE RESERVOIR: Ice-fishing is over for the year. Tom Ogden fly-fished Millsite from a float tube on March 20 near the dam. From 10:30 a.m. until 3 p.m., he caught 11 rainbows between 11 and 14 inches long. Tom used #3 uniform sinking line with a #10 black/green wooly bugger. Most of the fish were caught while he was trolling.<br />
SAN JUAN COUNTY: The ice-fishing season is over, except for high elevation waters on the LaSal Mountains, where access is limited to snow machine. Aquatics Biologist Darek Elverud fished Ken's Lake on March 9. He reported slow fishing with spinners, but fair success with bait.<br />
SCOFIELD RESERVOIR: Lt. Carl Gramlich fished on March 16 at the mouth of the dam cove. "Fishing has improved dramatically over what it was a month ago," says Carl. He caught seven fish in 2.5 hours, using a white jig, baited with minnows or crawlers. His fish were 14 inchers, although he said other anglers appeared to have a few larger fish, somewhere around 17 to 19 inches. Carl advises anglers to either bring an auger extension or shovel to remove the top layers of snow, slush and bad ice. Carl recommended fishing from 9 a.m. to noon.<br />
On the Utah fishing forum at www.bigfishtackle.com, a thread posted on March 15 indicated fast fishing action until 10 a.m. Chester wrote that he caught 19 fish in a little more than two hours. He fished in 11 feet of water with a white jig, tipped with a crawler. Chester talked to another party closer to shore that had a lot of fish on the ice. Four of their tigers were over 18 inches. Chester indicated that the ice was in better shape than it had been two weeks earlier.<br />
On March 10, Conservation Officer Mike Milburn fished Scofield. He reported that ice conditions were safe at that time. Total snow cover and ice together measured about 36 inches. Mike said an auger extension might be needed. His party fished the west side in 12 to 14 feet of water. Each fisherman hooked a near limit of fish. Milburn used a small attractor with a 10-inch dropper and small ice fly, tipped with a piece of nightcrawler. He also tried a small plastic minnow jig without any bait, but the jig had to be moving all the time to entice a strike.