Idaho Fish Report

Surface temperatures are in the low 60s. The reservoir dropped 6 feet this summer to the current elevation of 6,012 feet. All boat launches are open but Anvil Draw is close to being inaccessible and the cut-through in Sheep Creek is impassable. 

Lake trout: Recent fishing reports indicate that lake trout fishing success is starting to pick up on the north end of the reservoir and throughout the Canyon Region in Utah. Lake trout have been deeper with anglers catching fish in the 70- to 100-foot range. Good lures to try are jigging spoons (such as Northland Buckshots or Crippled Herrings), jigging raps, blade baits like Berkley Vibratos and 3.5-inch tube jigs in 1/4- to 3/8-ounce weight and tipped with sucker or chub meat. White and chartreuse are good colors to start with. Trolling has been better, using spoons at 70-80 feet and about 1.6 to 1.8 mph. Good spoons to try are 2-3 inch wobble spoons in silver or rainbow trout colors. Tip the spoon with a small piece of bait, like Berkley Gulp maggots. Please help the resource by harvesting some of the overabundant lake trout under 25 inches. This size class of fish makes exceptional table fare.

 Kokanee salmon reminder: Anglers may not possess kokanee salmon at any waterbody statewide from Sept. 10 through Nov. 30. Rainbow and cutthroat trout: Fishing has been good near shore using lures like spinners, spoons, and jigs or bait presentations. Tip the lures with Gulp maggots or a small amount of bait for more enticement. Some nice rainbow trout up to 20 inches are also being caught while trolling in the canyon region. Some of these fish are being caught as deep as 60-70 feet while targeting small lake trout. 

Smallmouth bass: Recent reports indicate good success using soft plastics like Gulp minnows, Ned rigs, drop shot worms and curly tailed jigs in earthtones.

Remember: The limit in Utah is three fish and catch-and-release only in Wyoming. In Utah, please minimize harvest of the larger bass as they're older, slow-growing fish. 

Burbot: There haven't been many angling reports, but with cooling water temperatures, expect burbot to get more active. The best time period to target burbot is at night. Anglers should fish rocky points and shorelines using glow-in-the-dark lures like Yamamoto grubs, Radical Glow tubes and Northland Buckshot spoons. Tip the lure with sucker or chub meat, recharge glow frequently, and jig or deadstick the presentation a couple of inches from the bottom. Please remember all burbot must be killed.