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I went fishing at the Barkers two weeks ago - the fishing was fair but I only caught cutthroats and planter rainbows. Supposedly Boulder Mountain was some of the best Brook Trout fishing in the West for many years. I didn't fish for brookies in any other state, but I can attest it was good. We could catch a lot of fat 10 - 14 inchers that were some of the finest eating - close to salmon in flavor. Even the small ones had pink meat. I also used to also catch good brookies at Kolob and Panguitch. They aren't there to speak of anymore. Am I the only one that misses these beautiful fish? Does anyone know if DWR has completely crossed the brookie off its management rolls in favor of the cutthroat? It seems they only allow the brookies to live in small undernourished lakes where the cutthroats would winterkill anyway. DWR can't get cutthroat off their brain!
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I used to catch a lot of big (some absolutely huge) brook trout on the Boulders back in the 80's. I love brookies. I don't think you'll ever see them eliminated from the management in Utah, but I think you will see a lot of favortism for cutthroat in the future. The cutthroat they use now are different from the old Yellowstone cutts they used to manage with. The cutts now are Colorados and Bonnevilles, which are a native species (the only trout native to Utah). I makes sense to manage for a native species that also is a great sportfish. As much as I love brookies, they are an exotic from the east. Just my $.02.
Good Fishing, Kayote
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The Uintahs are still heavily stocked with fingerling brookies. They drop them from planes on the high mountain lakes. I would say a vast majority of the High Uintahs, where you have to backpack in, have brookies in them. That goes for the streams up there too. A few lakes have rainbows and/or cutts too.
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The DWR still manages many lakes on the Boulders for Brook trout. The barkers still have brook trout in them, and there are some nice ones. Dougherty still has brook trout, and some really big ones, but they are not stocked in there any more because it is the brood stock lake for the Colorado River cutts. Joe lay still has nice brook trout in it. The point I am trying to make is that the Boulders still have places with big brook trout. Take the current regulations on the Boulders; most of the lakes are closed to fishing after Oct. 31. Why? to protect the big brook trout that are extremely vulnerable during winter months. I can promise you, if there were not lakes up there with lots of big brook trout, this management plan would not be in place! Don't give up on the boulders because you had a bad day fishing. There are lunkers there because they are not easy to catch!
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Last weekend I fished at the Sulphur CG along the Mirror Lake highway. That stream is packed with Brookies, they arn't big but they are fun to catch!
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Just another couple of items about the Brook trout on the Boulder. Lately the DWR has begun a more intensive management program for the lakes on this mountain. I have fished a lot of the lakes up there and some of them were really good lakes to fish in the past, but since Brook trout are such prolific breeders and easily overpopulate lakes, some lakes went from quality fish to huge quantities of fish. The DWR has treated several lakes already and are planning on treating others. In these lakes, to avoid overpopulating the lakes again with small, stunted brook trout they are introducing cutts, and tiger trout. In speaking with the DWR officer that manages the area we learned that they decide the lakes that need treatment by studying the lakes for several years (gill netting) and then making a decision based on size or growth rate of fish. They actually had one of the better lakes on the list but took it off after a recent study that was done there in which they found that the fish were actually growing well and not overpopulating the lake.
MJ
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maraboujigs is right. I saw a story about it on the news. The fish population in a few of the lakes, not all, will be managed differently than in the past because of the reasons that maraboujigs stated. That was in the Boulders. I don't know why the brookies are gone from the other lakes.
By the way, I can name a few lakes in the Uintas that have stunted brookies in them and I wish the DWR would do something differently on those lakes too.
m
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Why not open the limit up on these particular lakes instead of treating the lake and killing everything in it?
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i was just up there a few weeks ago, you can go back and read my report . . .i didnt catch any brookies either, but i didnt really target them either . . .the rainbows and cutters were quite willing . . i think if you targeted them specifically with flies, scuds, midges, buggers you'd have better luck . . .i did catch a 1-1/2 pound big brookie last may at upper barker on a nightcrawler . .
sm
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If you look at the proclamation you will see that the boulder mountains has a bonus limit of brook trout. The DWR has increased the limit for brook trout on the mountain, but that is not enougn in many cases on that mountian. One other reason some of these lakes are being poisoned is to establish Colorado River Cutts back into their native drainages. Most of the lakes that were treated had stunted brook trout in them, and I can promise you that an increased limit will not fix that problem. Those lakes were treated, and are now being stocked with Cutts and some are getting Tiger Trout (like has been stated previously). As far as not being able to get brook trout out of the Barkers...it's not because they aren't there. I think that people are to quick to blame the DWR when they have a lousy fishing outing. Sometimes the fish just don't bite, especially the bigger fish. Don't be too quick to give up either. your next trip to the area may provide you with some nice brook trout fishing!
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Thanks marabou,
Your comments make sense.
Chris
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I caught maybe one hundred brookies this summer in the uintas. Hoover lake has some big ones up to about 15 inches. Its a few miles off the road and full of fish if you ever wanted to give it a try. Good fishing, Matt
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