Idaho Fish Report
Central Region fishing forecast
by Utah Division of Wildlife
8-12-2022
801-538-4700
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American Fork Creek: ★★★
River flows have dropped, with a steady discharge rate of 13.1 cubic feet per second being measured at the U.S. Geological Survey stream station, just below Little Mill Campground. The creek received supplemental rainbow trout stocking on Aug. 8, and fishing is fair to good. American Fork Canyon summer vehicle traffic and recreational use is high. Roadside pull-off or day-use area parking availability may impact where anglers are able to fish, or require anglers to walk some distance to access the desired section of stream. Illegal parking has become a major problem in American Fork Canyon and other canyons in Utah County. The Utah County Sheriff's Office and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest officials are focusing enforcement of no parking zones — including towing — in the canyons. Anglers are advised to fish weekday mornings and evenings when there is lower recreational use and more parking availability, and to have a backup plan if no parking is available. Stay safe, share the resource and practice good stream etiquette. (Aug. 11, 2022)
Deer Creek Reservoir (Blue Ribbon): ★★★
The reservoir is 61% full, and fishing is fair to good. Anglers are catching smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, small walleye, common carp and the occasional bullhead catfish. Smallmouth and largemouth bass often move up into the shallows in the early evenings/night to feed, making it a prime time to fish for them. Topwater baits/fly patterns, spinner baits, minnow lures/fly patterns, spider jigs, hula grubs and crayfish patterns are all good options. Finesse fishing jigs with nightcrawler, green/pumpkin, orange/yellow or white/chartreuse stick baits along steep banks/shorelines are good options for walleye. Rainbow trout catch rates are fair using corn, cheese or garlic trout dough baits. A few anglers report decent trout catch rates using in-line spinners and casting spoons. Early mornings and later evenings seem to be producing more trout and walleye. The smallmouth bass bite seems to be remaining steady throughout the day. The bite does slow down a bit around 10:30 a.m., but it picks back up by about 3:30 p.m. (Aug. 11, 2022)
Diamond Fork River: ★★★
Great Basin rattlesnakes are active in the canyon, and anglers are reporting encounters along the riverbanks and on trails/footpaths leading to the river. Use caution, always watch the trail ahead of you and check carefully before stepping over rocks, reaching onto ledges or sitting down on rocks or logs. Learn how to stay safe if you encounter a rattlesnake. Fly anglers are reporting good catch rates fishing the upper Diamond Fork and Sixth Water sections using dry-dropper and hopper-dropper rigs. Both attractant dries and floating terrestrial patterns paired with a nymph dropper are producing healthy Bonneville cutthroat and brown trout while fishing/wading upstream. Streamers, light spoons and small inline spinners can also be effective when fishing pools and deeper runs; cast across the stream and let the streamer/lure “swing” with the current as you retrieve. (Aug. 04, 2022)
Jordanelle Reservoir (Blue Ribbon): ★★★
The reservoir is 70% full. Fishing is fair for trout and kokanee salmon, and good for smallmouth bass. Anglers are catching good numbers of smallmouth bass from shore and when boat fishing a jig paired with a curly-tailed grub, hula grub, tube or creature bait. Bright colors like hot pink, yellow, chartreuse, orange and white seem to be working well. The bite is pretty steady throughout the day. Some shore anglers are seeing the bite slow down in areas around 11:30 a.m., but it picks back up by about 3 p.m. Boat angler's success is mixed — particularly for those targeting or trolling for trout and kokanee salmon. Trolling kokanee gear (dodger/flasher trailing a hoochie squid or wedding ring spinner), and trolling spoons and spinners seems to be producing fish. Actively casting spinner baits and deep-diving crankbaits can be effective for wiper, as well as vertically jigging spoons, tube jigs and drop-shot rigs baited with mussel meat or a dead minnow. (Aug. 11, 2022)
Mill Hollow Reservoir: ★★★
The reservoir was stocked with rainbow trout on Aug. 10. Fishing is good. Anglers are catching a mix of rainbow trout, tiger trout and brook trout. Fly anglers should try alternating between fishing dry flies and attractor patterns when the trout are actively feeding at the surface, and then switching to fishing a wooly bugger or jig leech pattern — paired with a beadhead nymph or soft-hackle trailer — when fish aren't feeding at the surface. Conventional anglers should try using garlic-, cheese- or corn-scented trout dough bait fished off the bottom or use a piece of nightcrawler fished below a bobber. Casting spoons, marabou jigs and dressed inline spinners can also be very effective, particularly for tiger trout. Drift trolling and/or vertically jigging from a kayak, canoe or float tube can be very effective. (Aug. 11, 2022)
Silver Lake (American Fork Canyon): ★★
The U.S. Forest Service Pleasant Grove Ranger District closed Silver Lake Road (Forest Road #008) to all traffic on Aug. 1 for road construction. This road closure is for public safety while construction crews are installing fiber optic lines, and the road will remain closed until late September. There will be limited access to Silver Lake Flat Reservoir. Please call 385-430-0200 for more information about this USFS road closure. Summer recreation use in American Fork Canyon is extremely high. The PGRD is reporting Tibble Fork Reservoir and Silver Lake Flat reservoir parking lots reaching full capacity by 10 a.m. on the weekends. Illegal parking has become a major problem in American Fork Canyon and other canyons in Utah County. The Utah County Sheriff's Office and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest officials are focusing on enforcement of no parking zones — including towing — in the canyons. Anglers are advised to fish weekday mornings and evenings when there is lower recreational use and more parking availability, and to have a backup plan if no parking is available. (July 27, 2022)
Silver Lake Flat Reservoir (American Fork Canyon): ★★
The U.S. Forest Service Pleasant Grove Ranger District closed Silver Lake Road (Forest Road #008) to all traffic on Aug. 1 for road construction. This road closure is for public safety while construction crews are installing fiber-optic lines, and the road will remain closed until late September. There will be limited access to Silver Lake Flat Reservoir. Please call 385-430-0200 for more information about this USFS road closure. Summer recreation use in American Fork Canyon is extremely high. The PGRD is reporting Tibble Fork Reservoir and Silver Lake Flat reservoir parking lots reaching full capacity by 10 a.m. on the weekends. Illegal parking has become a major problem in American Fork Canyon and other canyons in Utah County. The Utah County Sheriff's Office and Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest officials are focusing enforcement of no parking zones — including towing — in the canyons. Anglers are advised to fish weekday mornings and evenings when there is lower recreation use and more parking availability, and have a backup plan if no parking is available. (July 27, 2022)
Vivian Park Pond (Provo Canyon): ★★★
The pond was stocked with rainbow trout on Aug. 1. Fish feeding activity is highest in the mornings and evenings. Nightcrawler or garlic trout dough bait fished below a bobber, light in-line spinners, dry fly patterns or dry dropper rigs are producing fish. (Aug. 11, 2022)
Yuba Reservoir & State Park: ★★★
The reservoir is down to 6% capacity, and the last remaining launch ramp (Yuba Main Ramp - Oasis) is functioning at 7% capacity. Reminder: It is no longer safe to launch anything bigger than a single-axle trailer. Yuba State Park rangers report seeing double-axle boat trailers falling off the end of the ramp when attempting to launch. Small boats are still able to launch, for now. However, the water level is dropping on a daily basis. The state park asks anglers to call ahead to find out about current boat ramp conditions (435- 758-2611). An emergency regulation change is in effect, changing the daily fish limit to a combined total of 20 fish for the following species: Walleye, wiper, trout (any species), tiger muskie, northern pike, channel catfish (no size restrictions apply). This regulation change is prompted by ongoing drought conditions. Yuba Reservoir is expected to experience low water levels this year and fish loss is expected due to adverse conditions. The intention of the regulation change is to increase harvest and provide anglers the opportunity to harvest additional fish prior to fish loss, if loss occurs. This emergency regulation change is effective immediately and will remain in effect until Sept. 30, 2022. All other rules listed in the 2022 Utah Fishing Guidebook remain in effect. (Aug. 04, 2022)