Southern Utah winter fishing report: Where are the anglers casting? (2024)

Stock image courtesy of Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — In Southern Utah, places such as the upper East Fork Sevier River provide little fishing opportunity due to poor access and surface ice.

According to the fall fishing report from Utah Division of Wildlife resources, surface ice often makes fishing a little difficult in lower areas such as Mammoth Creek, Asay Creek and the upper Sevier River.

For better luck, officials suggest anglers target warm, sunny days when the ice breaks up. Winter is also a good time to target whitefish with nymphs as they congregate in deep pools and brown trout with flies.

Those new to fishing should remember it is always illegal to introduce nonnative species of fish into any body of water in Utah. Follow all rules and obtain the proper permits online or at a local sporting goods store, the report stated.

For the latest information on where to fish and what bait to use, check out the fall fishing report for the Southern Utah region:

Baker Reservoir:

Fishing forecast (December through April): Baker Reservoir is generally ice-free through the winter. When it does get cold enough for ice, it is typically very thin and doesn’t last very long. Ten-inch rainbow trout are stocked each year in the fall and should provide fair to good fishing through the spring. Most anglers fish with popular baits, but flies and lures also work very well. Baker Reservoir sometimes produces large brown trout and the colder months present the best time to target these fish.

Beaver River, Lower:

Fishing forecast (December through April): Stream flows are much lower in the winter, so walk lightly and work on your stealth skills to avoid spooking fish. Low flow also often leads to surface ice, which can make fishing more difficult. Brown and rainbow trout can get a little sluggish during the winter, but fishing can still be fair to good, especially on warm, sunny days.

Beaver River, Upper:

Fishing forecast (December through April): Anchor ice is common in the Upper Beaver River during winter, making fishing difficult. Brown and rainbow trout can get a little sluggish during the winter, but fishing can still be fair in any open water you can find, especially on warm, sunny days.

Boulder Mountain Lakes (Blue Ribbon):

Fishing forecast (December through April): Check the current Utah Fishing Guidebook to see which lakes are closed to fishing through the winter (lakes are listed under individual names, not “Boulder Mountain”). Ice fishing is allowed at most of the lakes on Boulder Mountain and can be good to very fast. The toughest challenge is access, as you will likely need a snowmobile, ATV or even an OHV with tracks to access the lakes. Consult the Boulder Mountain entry on the Fish Utah map for fishing techniques and tips.

Duck Creek / Aspen-Mirror:

Fishing forecast (December through March): Duck Creek Pond does not form safe ice due to the large spring. You may find decent fishing in the open water around the spring, though parking can be limited by snow. Access is not maintained to Aspen-Mirror Lake during the winter.

East Fork Sevier River, Black Canyon (Blue Ribbon):

Fishing forecast (December through March): Stream flows are much lower in the winter, so walk lightly and work on your stealth skills to avoid spooking fish. Spring inflow keeps Black Canyon more free of surface ice than other streams. Brown and cutthroat trout can get a little sluggish during the winter, but fishing can still be fair to good, especially on warm, sunny days. Visit sevierriver.org to see real-time flows.

East Fork Sevier River, Kingston Canyon (Blue Ribbon):

Fishing forecast (December through March): Stream flows are much lower in the winter, so walk lightly and work on your stealth skills to avoid spooking fish. Low flow also often leads to surface ice, which can make fishing more difficult. Brown and rainbow trout can get a little sluggish during the winter, but fishing can still be fair to good, especially on warm, sunny days. Visit sevierriver.org to see real-time flows.

East Fork Sevier River, Upper:

The Left Fork Fire burned heavily through the Kanab Creek drainage in early summer 2022. Summer rain storms washed large amounts of ash into the stream, killing all fish in Kanab Creek. The upper East Fork Sevier River, from Kanab Creek downstream to Tropic Reservoir, appears to have also suffered large losses of fish due to the ash flow. The East Fork and all tributaries upstream of Kanab Creek were unaffected by the fire and still have abundant trout.

Enterprise Reservoir, Upper and Lower:

Fishing forecast (December through March): Safe ice often forms on Upper Enterprise Reservoir in mid-to-late December, though warm winter temperatures can negatively impact ice conditions. Caution: Use great care and caution when accessing the ice here. Roads are typically well-maintained, though they may be impassable for a few days after a snow storm. When ice conditions are safe, fishing for rainbow trout can be good to excellent in the winter. Standard ice fishing tackle (ice flies, small jigs) work well for rainbows, tipped with any popular bait (mealworm, waxworm, nightcrawler, PowerBait). An occasional smallmouth bass is also picked up through the ice. The water level at Upper Enterprise Reservoir was very low going into 2023 and the algae bloom was heavy during the summer into the fall. Despite these tough conditions, we did not receive any reports of significant fish die-offs. As expected, trout numbers were lower in our spring sampling in 2023. Catchable-sized rainbows have been stocked throughout the summer.

Fish Lake (Blue Ribbon):

Fishing forecast (December through March): Fish Lake provides some of the best ice fishing in Utah. Due to its depth, Fish Lake freezes over much later than most other waters in southern Utah. During most years, you can find some safe ice forming between Christmas and the New Year. The shallow north and south ends freeze over first, so you often have safe ice in those areas while the middle of the lake is still open. Highway 25 is plowed as far as Joe Bush, though large storms can cause temporary closures. Ice fishing can vary from slow to fast, depending on the species you target. The fastest fishing is for yellow perch and small trout (rainbow, splake) in the shallowest water next to the weed line. Ice flies and small jigs tipped with mealworm, waxworm, nightcrawler, perch meat and corn work very well. Perch numbers are most dense on the north and south ends of the lake, where the weed line is wider, so focus on those areas if you want to target high catches of perch. If you’d like to avoid the perch and catch bigger trout, move out to deeper water (20-40 feet). You can catch rainbows and splake suspended over deep water as well. To target more splake, try increasing your jig size and tip with perch, chub or sucker meat. Anglers occasionally catch kokanee salmon through the ice as well. While most catches are incidental, you can try targeting salmon by adding a flasher to your line (the same one you troll with in the summer) and fishing suspended over deep water. Shoe-peg corn is commonly recognized as effective for kokanee, while mealworms and waxworms may also work. Winter is a great time for anglers to target lake trout, especially for those who don’t have boats. Fish large jigs or spoons tipped with cut bait on the bottom in 50-100 feet. A good fish finder and a healthy dose of patience are other essentials for lake trout fishing. Consult the Fish Lake entry on the Fish Utah map for fall fishing tips for all these species.

Forsyth Reservoir:

Fishing forecast (December through March): Forsyth Reservoir was completely drained for irrigation use in 2021 and 2022. Although the reservoir was drawn low again in 2023, it should have sustained the fish throughout the summer. Forsyth Reservoir typically ices over in early to mid-December. Access is often the biggest challenge to winter fishing as the road to the reservoir from Highway 72 is not plowed and can be impassable right after snow storms. Tiger and splake trout are active throughout the winter and can provide fair to good fishing. Tip jigs with cutbait (pieces of chub, sucker or shiner) for best success.

Gunlock Reservoir (Blue Ribbon):

Fishing forecast (December through March): Consult the Utah State Parks website for boat ramp hours and conditions. Winter fishing pressure is light at Gunlock Reservoir as largemouth bass become less active during the cold months. Some nice bass can still be caught during the winter, though they are typically found in deep water (20-40 feet) and generally respond only to slow presentations. Warm, sunny days are best since bass are very sensitive to inclement weather. Bluegill and black crappie are often more active during the winter, so you may find some fair fishing if you can find a school of panfish. Look for bluegill and crappie to be suspended over deeper water, often hanging out near the edge of drop-offs. Important note for cold-weather bass fishing: Largemouth bass are often found in deep water (20-40 feet) during the winter. Bass brought up from depths over 20 feet often struggle to swim back down because the air bladder overinflates with lessening water pressure at the surface. Some anglers like to “fizz” the fish by inserting a needle in the fish’s side and deflating the air bladder. While the fish may swim away, this is highly discouraged because puncturing the air bladder makes it difficult for the fish to regulate its buoyancy until the puncture heals. Also, there is a high chance you may puncture other organs and infections may occur at the wound or internally. A better alternative is to use a descending device or a weighted milk crate tied upside down to a rope to carry the fish back down to the depth where you caught it.

Johnson Reservoir:

Johnson Reservoir was drained in 2022 so that repair work could be conducted on the dam outlet. No fish were scheduled to be stocked in Johnson Reservoir in 2023, due to the continuing repairs on the dam outlet. Any fish found in the reservoir have come over from Fish Lake (mostly suckers, carp and a few rainbow trout).

Kolob Reservoir (Blue Ribbon):

Fishing forecast (December through March): Winter access is not maintained, so ice fishing pressure is light. If you can get there on a snowmobile or ATV, you can often find good to excellent fishing with jigs. Regulation reminder: Kolob Reservoir is closed to bait fishing until May 18. Also, tributaries (from Kolob Reservoir upstream to the headwaters) are closed to fishing until July 8.

Koosharem Reservoir:

Fishing forecast (December through April): Koosharem Reservoir was completely drained for irrigation use in 2021 and 2022. Ten-inch rainbow and cutthroat trout were stocked over the summer and will provide some fishing opportunity as long as water is held in the reservoir. Fishing opportunity in Koosharem will be limited as water levels continue to vary. (Sept. 11, 2023)

Lake at the Hills, Cedar City: The lake is closed to fishing for the season due to ice.

Lake Powell (Blue Ribbon):

Fishing forecast (January through February): Wintertime makes stripers more vulnerable to anglers. When temperatures drop, shad go deeper and stripers follow after them. Focus on a bottom depth near 60-100 feet. Suspended at 70-90 feet, shad schools will appear as a cloud of fish traces on the graph. Stripers lay below the suspended shad in a dormant state, but when hungry will rise to the 45-60 foot range to capture a shad meal. A quality fish finder/graph is key to locating winter stripers. Stripers will appear as a moving mass with individual fish shapes apparent around the edges of the school. The resting school may appear as 100 or more fish traces on the lake bottom. Graph for schooling fish about 1/3 of the way out from the back of the canyon. Find the traces which are usually concentrated in the winter, but widely scattered in the fall. As the winter pattern solidifies, shad schools and adjoining stripers get closer together and easier to find. The best technique is to use a silver jigging spoon, a shad-colored slab spoon, a 1/2-ounce or heavier white marabou jig or anchovy bait. Drop the lure into the striper school at the depth indicated on the graph. It is important to measure your line as it drops so the fish suspended at 50 feet can be targeted. If fish are 10 feet off the bottom, then start at the bottom and reel up 10 feet so the lure is inside the school. Stripers will feed all winter long but are less active when the water temperature is colder than 55 degrees. Anglers are reporting very fast striper fishing to the north. Some are reporting catching over 100 stripers per trip. The most productive reports have been from Red Canyon up to the Horn. Navajo Canyon, Last Chance and Rock Creek areas have been producing fish on the south end.

Mammoth Creek:

Access is limited in lower Mammoth Creek by private land that is posted as closed to trespassing. Please respect private property rights and obey signs or other postings. We treated the upper Mammoth Creek drainage with rotenone in 2020 and 2021 to remove nonnative trout in preparation for restoring native Bonneville cutthroat trout upstream of Mammoth Spring. (This project did not affect the stream below Mammoth Spring.) Bonneville cutthroat trout have been stocked now, but they are fingerling fish and will take a couple years to get up to catchable size. Castle Creek (Sidney Valley) was restored a few years ago and has good numbers of chunky cutthroat trout, as well as a handful of tiger trout. Some catchable-sized tiger trout were stocked in upper Mammoth Creek last summer.

Mill Meadow Reservoir:

Fishing forecast (December through March): Safe ice usually forms between early-to-mid December. Ice fishing is often fair to good for rainbow and brown trout with standard ice tackle and baits. If you want to target larger brown trout, use larger jigs and tip with cut bait (chub, sucker, perch). With this technique, you may also catch some nice tiger and splake trout that washed down from Forsyth Reservoir when it was drained in 2021. Perch numbers have been slowly increasing in recent years and may also provide fair winter fishing success.

Minersville Reservoir (Blue Ribbon):

Fishing forecast (December through February): During cold winters, Minersville Reservoir can cap with safe ice (up to 12 inches) and provide fair to good ice fishing for rainbow trout. Marabou jigs and jigging spoons often work best since bait and scented soft plastics are not allowed. During mild winters, however, the ice can be unsafe and large patches of open water can be present. Open water fishing from shore or tubes can be effective for trout with various flies, lures and jigs. Smallmouth bass and wipers are less active during the winter.

Navajo Lake:

Navajo Lake was treated with rotenone in October 2021 to reduce a dense population of Utah chubs that had been significantly impacting trout survival. A new management plan for Navajo Lake was developed during early 2022 with the help of local anglers and officials. The plan intends to provide fishing opportunities for both family and trophy fishing interests, while also addressing the issues of chub competition and overwinter survival. Fish species that will be stocked in the future will include rainbow trout, tiger trout, splake trout, Arctic grayling and tiger muskie. It is hoped that multiple predators (including tiger trout, splake trout and tiger muskie) will help keep chubs from becoming too abundant. Arctic grayling generally show better overwinter survival in low-oxygen conditions and may compete with chubs. Rainbow trout are intended to provide high catch rates, along with tiger trout and grayling. Splake, large tiger trout and tiger muskie should provide trophy fishing opportunities, with lower catch rates.

Newcastle Reservoir:

Our spring gillnetting survey found lots of large wipers, from 4-12 pounds. Wipers have really benefited from an increase in golden shiners during the last couple of years. Smallmouth bass also seem to be doing well, with several fish up to 3 pounds observed. Rainbow trout have not survived as well in recent years due to competition with shiners and drought conditions. They may continue to struggle until wipers knock the shiner density back down. During cold winters, Newcastle Reservoir can cap with safe ice (up to 12 inches) and provide fair to good ice fishing for rainbow trout. During mild winters, however, the ice can be unsafe and large patches of open water can be present.

Otter Creek Reservoir (Blue Ribbon):

Our spring gillnetting survey found that rainbow trout did surprisingly well through the previous years’ drought. Trout stocked last fall at seven inches in length survived the winter very well and have grown to 9 to 12 inches. Larger rainbow trout (16 to 22 inches) are just as abundant as in previous years and are in great condition, despite severe drought conditions. Wiper catch is inconsistent in the gillnets, but we saw a few very healthy fish in the 5- to 6-pound range. Utah chub density is low, likely thanks to wiper predation. We also caught two big brown trout at 5 to 7 pounds each. Overall, Otter Creek is in great shape, especially considering the drought years we just went through.

Panguitch Lake (Blue Ribbon):

Fishing forecast (December through March): Safe ice usually forms on Panguitch Lake between early and late December and lasts until late March to mid-April. Trout are very active right after ice-on and usually provide good to excellent fishing in the shallows for the first few weeks of the ice season. Heavy fishing pressure eventually causes this fast fishing to slow down as some fish get less active and others move away from the popular areas. Your best bet then is to move away from those areas that have been hit hardest. Cutthroat trout will often head out to deeper water (25-40 feet) while tiger trout stay in the shallows (4-20 feet) but often move to less easily accessed areas. Rainbow trout can still be found in all depths. Check out the Panguitch Lake entry on the Fish Utah Map for more ice fishing techniques and tips. Remember that all cutthroat and tiger trout between 15 and 22 inches in length must be released, so look carefully at the fish you catch. If you’re not sure of what you caught, it’s best to release the fish. Maintaining good numbers of large cutthroat and tiger trout is essential to controlling the density of Utah chubs in Panguitch Lake and preserving good trout fishing into the future.

Paragonah (Red Creek) Reservoir:

Fishing forecast (December through March): Winter access is not maintained to Paragonah Reservoir, so you may need a snowmobile or ATV to get there if the snow is too deep. Safe ice usually forms between early and late December and lasts until late March to mid-April, about the same time that access opens up. Ice fishing pressure is light, so you can often have the reservoir to yourself and enjoy good to fast fishing if you can get there. Tiger trout are abundant and you can also catch cutthroat and rainbow trout. Standard ice fishing tackle (ice flies, small jigs) work well. Natural baits like mealworm, waxworm, nightcrawler and cut bait (pieces of minnow, chub or sucker) tend to work better for these fish than PowerBait. The tiger trout stocked after the Brian Head fire have survived very well, so feel free to take a limit to help cut down on competition and improve growth. In our spring gillnetting surveys, we found a number of redside shiners. You’ll now see schools of these swimming around the lake. The good news is that the tiger trout should be big enough that they can prey on these fish to help keep the numbers down. We’ve also stocked a number of splake to help control shiner numbers.

Pine Lake:

Fishing forecast (December through March): Winter access is not maintained to Pine Lake, so you may need a snowmobile or ATV to get there if the snow is too deep. Safe ice usually forms between early and late December and lasts until late March to early April, about the same time that access opens up. Ice fishing pressure is light, so you can often have the reservoir to yourself and enjoy good to fast fishing if you can get there. Rainbow and tiger trout are abundant.

Pine Valley Reservoir:

Fishing forecast (December through March): Access is not maintained throughout the winter months. The reservoir is typically reachable in May.

Piute Reservoir:

Fishing forecast (December through February): Piute Reservoir was mostly drained again in 2022 for irrigation use. The fishery has struggled due to drought conditions and water fluctuation in recent years. The reservoir, when it has water, is dominated by Utah suckers. We are beginning a new effort to improve fishing opportunities in Piute Reservoir by introducing white crappie, but its success will depend on water levels. Some 8-inch tiger trout were stocked, along with a number of 5-inch rainbow trout in August of 2023.

Quail Creek Reservoir (Blue Ribbon):

Fishing forecast (December through March): Consult the Utah State Parks website for winter boat ramp hours. Rainbow trout are stocked annually in the fall at Quail Creek Reservoir and provide good to excellent fishing through the winter and spring. Trout are caught from both shore and boat using popular trout techniques. Bait, spinners, flies and trolling all produce. Largemouth bass are less active during cold months, but some nice bass can still be caught during the winter. These fish are typically found in deep water (20-40 feet) and generally respond only to slow presentations. Warm, sunny days are best since bass are very sensitive to inclement weather. Bluegill and black crappie are often more active during the winter, so you may find some fair fishing if you can find a school of panfish. Look for bluegill and crappie to be suspended over deeper water, often hanging out near the edge of drop-offs. Important note for cold-weather bass fishing: Largemouth bass are often found in deep water (20-40 feet) during the winter. Bass brought up from depths over 20 feet often struggle to swim back down because the air bladder overinflates with lessening water pressure at the surface. Some anglers like to “fizz” the fish by inserting a needle in the fish’s side and deflating the air bladder. While the fish may swim away, this is highly discouraged because puncturing the air bladder makes it difficult for the fish to regulate its buoyancy until the puncture heals. Also, there is a high chance you may puncture other organs and infections may occur at the wound or internally. A better alternative is to use a descending device or a weighted milk crate tied upside down to a rope to carry the fish back down to the depth where you caught it.

Sand Hollow Reservoir (Blue Ribbon):

Fishing forecast (December through March): Consult the Utah State Parks website for winter boat ramp hours. Largemouth bass are less active during cold months, but some nice bass can still be caught during the winter. These fish are typically found in deep water (20-40 feet) and generally respond only to slow presentations. Warm, sunny days are best since bass are very sensitive to inclement weather. Bluegill and black crappie are often more active during the winter, so you may find some fair fishing if you can find a school of panfish. Look for bluegill and crappie to be suspended over deeper water. Important note for cold-weather bass fishing: Largemouth bass are often found in deep water (20-40 feet) during the winter. Bass brought up from depths over 20 feet often struggle to swim back down because the air bladder overinflates with lessening water pressure at the surface. Some anglers like to “fizz” the fish by inserting a needle in the fish’s side and deflating the air bladder. While the fish may swim away, this is highly discouraged because puncturing the air bladder makes it difficult for the fish to regulate its buoyancy until the puncture heals. Also, there is a high chance you may puncture other organs and infections may occur at the wound or internally. A better alternative is to use a descending device or a weighted milk crate tied upside down to a rope to carry the fish back down to the depth where you caught it.

Sevier River, Marysvale Canyon:

Tropic Reservoir:

Fishing forecast (December through March): The reservoir was drawn low during the summer and trout survival was likely impacted. Winter access is not maintained to Tropic Reservoir, so you may need a snowmobile or ATV to get there if the snow is too deep. Safe ice usually forms between early and late December and lasts until late March or early April, about the same time that access opens up. Ice fishing pressure is light, so you can often have the reservoir to yourself if you can get there. In addition to stocked rainbow and tiger trout, there are also some large brown trout present that can be targeted through the ice.

Tushar (Beaver) Mountain Lakes:

A broken gate in the dam at Anderson Meadow Reservoir led to the rapid draining of the reservoir in fall 2022. The reservoir gate will remain open until it can be repaired in fall 2023/spring 2024. Because of this, fish were not stocked in 2023. Expect the reservoir to fill this winter and for fish to be stocked in the summer of 2024.

Yankee Meadow Reservoir:

Fishing forecast (December through April): Winter access is not maintained to Yankee Meadow Reservoir, so you may need a snowmobile, ATV or four-wheel drive to get there, depending on snow conditions. Safe ice usually forms between early and late December and lasts until early to late April, about the same time that access opens up. Ice fishing pressure is light, so you can often have the reservoir to yourself and enjoy good to fast fishing if you can get there. Rainbow, cutthroat and brook trout can all provide good success. Standard ice fishing tackle (ice flies, small jigs) work well.

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