Open-Water Fishing Begins at Strawberry, Scofield

I put my boat on Strawberry Reservoir Saturday, and fished in open water. Action was a little on the slow side - we had to work hard for each of the 4 fish we caught. But they were big, beautiful, healthy cutthroat trout and we had an enjoyable afternoon.

The ice came off Strawberry and Scofield reservoirs last week. Their waters are still very cold and fish are a bit lethargic. But the fish will become more active as waters warm and insect activity picks up. Both reservoirs should offer good action within a couple weeks.

Strawberry is Utah's most popular fishery. It usually offers consistently good angling for very nice cutthroats, rainbows and kokanee salmon.

Scofield is also a very popular reservoir and usually has good action for rainbows, cutthroats and tiger trout.

Bear Lake is also ice free and has fair to good action for cutthroat and lake trout. Fish Lake should lose its ice cap any day now and it will offer great fishing for rainbows, splake, lake trout and perch.

Utah's other major fishing reservoirs have had open water for some weeks, and have generally good fishing. Lake Powell has excellent fishing right now.

Waters at extremely high elevations, in the Uinta Mountains, along Skyline Drive and on Boulder Mountain, are still covered by ice and snow. They will open up during the next few weeks.

Our streams now have very high water from spring runoff. Many are dangerously high and unfishable. Some fly fishing is available on the Green, Weber and Provo rivers, if you use extreme caution. Stream flows in far southern Utah will be receding now and fishing will be good as they return to normal flows. Northern Utah streams will be high for the next few weeks.

Fishing is always a key activity over Memorial Day Weekend. Crews work hard to stock reservoirs and community ponds, and most will offer good fishing.

June 7 is Utah's Free Fishing Day. Anyone can fish on that Saturday without a license. All other regulations are still enforced.

More info about Utah fishing regulations.

More info about Utah fishing licenses.