Idaho Fish Report

On Aug. 28, the surface water temperature was about 70 degrees. Fishing has improved the past week and will pick up even more as we head into fall. Fishing has been very good for cutthroat trout and lake trout. Anglers are catching fish while jigging or trolling. The best spots have been off the “rockpile," near Ideal Beach or from the Utah State Park Marina northward to Fish Haven. Anglers have also found success on the east side of the lake, from Second Point northward to the South Eden delta, off Cisco Beach and off the Idaho State Park. If you’re trolling, try using jointed Rapalas, flatfish or flasher/squid combos trolled in 65 to 100 feet of water. Try starting at 65 feet, and keep moving deeper until you find active fish. Most of the fish are close to the bottom, but pay attention to your sonar since you may find a few fish suspended off the bottom. Once you find some active fish, keep circling around that area to stay on the bite. If you're jigging, use a 1/2- to 1-ounce jig with a 4- to 6-inch tube, twister tail or swim bait tipped with a piece of cisco or other fish meat. Let the jig bounce right on the bottom, lifting it up about 12 to 18 inches and then dropping it back. Many of the strikes happen when the lure is falling back to the bottom, so pay attention to your line. White, green and chartreuse are reliable colors. Bear Lake water levels have dropped close to two feet so far this year. Boat launching is available at the Utah State Park Marina and First Point. The Cisco Beach ramp is open, but four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended to launch there. Due to construction work, the Rainbow Cove ramp is closed until further notice. Reminder: The trout limit is two fish. There is no longer a fin clip regulation for cutthroat trout, so any cutthroat trout can be kept, up to your two-fish limit. Lake trout take a long time to reach a large size. While large lake trout are legal to keep, many anglers are encouraging other anglers to release them. If you plan on releasing fish, try to land the fish quickly and then get it back in the water without any delays. 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