Perch and shiners

[Kent]

I want to catch some perch.  Fish Lake is full of them, but that is a long drive.  I know that Echo, Rockport, Deer Creek, East Canyon, Utah Lake and a few other places around northern Utah have them.  If you wanted to be guaranteed to catch perch and size didn't matter, where would you go?  

I am also interested in getting some shiners.  I know that Electric Lake has them, but again that is a long drive for me, and also Twin Lakes, by Brighton has them.  It will be a few weeks before the snow has melted on the trail to Twin Lakes.  Are there any other local waters that have shiners?  

Thanks for any and all help, and if you want to send me a PM, that would also be appreciated.

[Cowboypirate]

Normally I would suggest a quick run over to Newton and you could get a bunch of small ones, but it seems to have really been hurt by water levels.

Echo looked like it was starting to clear up near the dam  but I have not heard a reliable report of perch yet. The level has came way up - fast - so perch may be chasing new territory and not settled yet. A lot of the brush is just getting submerged so the young should have some cover. I will likey try it mid week and can let you know.

Rockport is pretty stained. I have not heard a good report from any of my friends in that area yet but I will also likey give it a go in the next 10 days. My personal opinion is it will be a bit longer though.

East Canyon, I would pass on perch efforts. 

Now the wild card is Pineview. I really like spring fishing for panfish at PV but I have heard nothing this spring and some really good ice fishermen had a hard time finding perch this winter. Not sure what awaits us with perch this spring but the Crappie ought to be in the normal spots.

Not much help really but in 10 days or so I should have a few reports

[joatmon]

Kent, I’ll send a PM with directions to my secret perch spot at Jordanelle.

[Cowboypirate]

Kent i completely forgot, I did have a friend do well at Mantua last week on perch. Also gills

[MrShane]

Kent, I’ll send a PM with directions to my secret perch spot at Jordanelle.

Don’t forget to Cc me in on that PM please!! Haha

[wiperhunter2]

 I know that Echo, Rockport, Deer Creek, East Canyon, Utah Lake and a few other places around northern Utah have them.  

East canyon has perch? I knew it had crappie but how long have perch been in there?

[Kent]

 I know that Echo, Rockport, Deer Creek, East Canyon, Utah Lake and a few other places around northern Utah have them.  

East canyon has perch? I knew it had crappie but how long have perch been in there?

Probably my bad.  After thinking about it, I don't recall East Canyon having perch.

[wiperhunter2]

 I know that Echo, Rockport, Deer Creek, East Canyon, Utah Lake and a few other places around northern Utah have them.  

East canyon has perch? I knew it had crappie but how long have perch been in there?

Probably my bad.  After thinking about it, I don't recall East Canyon having perch.

Since Echo and Rockport both have perch, I thought it was possible, then Lance did not say they weren't there, so I wasn't sure.

[Cowboypirate]

 I know that Echo, Rockport, Deer Creek, East Canyon, Utah Lake and a few other places around northern Utah have them.  

East canyon has perch? I knew it had crappie but how long have perch been in there?

Probably my bad.  After thinking about it, I don't recall East Canyon having perch.

Since Echo and Rockport both have perch, I thought it was possible, then Lance did not say they weren't there, so I wasn't sure.

No perch in EC to my knowledge but every year someone on FB posts a dink small mouth they caught thinking it is a perch. I have never seen a confirmed perch catch from EC.

[wiperhunter2]

 I know that Echo, Rockport, Deer Creek, East Canyon, Utah Lake and a few other places around northern Utah have them.  

East canyon has perch? I knew it had crappie but how long have perch been in there?

Probably my bad.  After thinking about it, I don't recall East Canyon having perch.

Since Echo and Rockport both have perch, I thought it was possible, then Lance did not say they weren't there, so I wasn't sure.

No perch in EC to my knowledge but every year someone on FB posts a dink small mouth they caught thinking it is a perch. I have never seen a confirmed perch catch from EC.

That's great to hear, had me worries for a while there. I love perch but there are plenty of perch in other lakes.

[TubeDude]

You already know most/all of the lakes where perch hang out.  But this time of year is usually not the best to try to catch a bunch.  My experience is that they spawn in early spring and then pretty much stay inactive until the water warms above 60...or more.  I have usually started catching perch in all the good places by about late June to early July.  And they can go pretty shallow during the summer when they start chasing their own young for dinner.  And wherever you can find large numbers of perch fry the larger ones will usually be close by.

By the way, the "chub pond" is a bust right now.  Made a trip out there a couple of weeks ago and it was extremely low and clear.  Could not see any chubs and both minnow traps and cast nets got no bait.  Never seen it like that.  It is fed from a deep water table and after the drought of the past few years it may take a while to replenish that little pond.

It is going to be interesting to see what life is like in all of our fishing holes once the flooding subsides and water conditions stabilize a bit.

[Kent]

By the way, the "chub pond" is a bust right now.  Made a trip out there a couple of weeks ago and it was extremely low and clear.  Could not see any chubs and both minnow traps and cast nets got no bait.  Never seen it like that.  It is fed from a deep water table and after the drought of the past few years it may take a while to replenish that little pond.

Surprising that it would be "extremely low".

[TubeDude]

By the way, the "chub pond" is a bust right now.  Made a trip out there a couple of weeks ago and it was extremely low and clear.  Could not see any chubs and both minnow traps and cast nets got no bait.  Never seen it like that.  It is fed from a deep water table and after the drought of the past few years it may take a while to replenish that little pond.

Surprising that it would be "extremely low".

It has been dropping slowly for the past couple of years.  It is lower now than I have ever seen it...with hardly even a trickle coming in from the springs.  As mentioned, it is fed by deep water aquifers that may take a long time to refill.  I suspect that all of the chubs have migrated downstream to the deep ponds on the bird refuge.  But they are only open to the public during waterfowl season.

[EyLayo]

LC was plentiful with chub today. Not Pat's bite sized beauties, but bait nonetheless. Easily caught from shore with anything we found kicking around in the bottom of the tackle box.