Idaho Fish Report

The surface water temperature is about 48 degrees. Irrigation pumping has ended and the lake has reached it low point for the year. The lake trout run has peaked for the year, but fishing should remain good. Shore anglers have been catching lake trout on large flys off the Utah State Park marina as well as off the north beach jetty. The best times to fish are evening, throughout the night and early morning. Boat anglers are catching some lake trout by trolling with flatfish in the shallow (10 to 30 feet deep), rocky shoreline areas. Fishing is better along the east side of the lake. Last week's gill net survey found an abundance of chubs along the shoreline on the west side of the lake, which has likely slowed the fishing in the area. Some anglers are picking up cutthroat trout by jigging on the bottom in 60 to 80 feet of water off the rockpile using tube jigs tipped with cisco.

Water is now flowing into the lake from the Bear River. You can launch a boats. The Utah State Park Marina, 1st Point and Rainbow Cove boat ramps and docks are in the water at all locations. Rainbow Cove access and the parking areas have been fully paved. Although there is a dock in the water at Cisco Beach, it is not recommended that you attempt to launch a boat there due to the rough, rocky shoreline.

Remember: You cannot keep any cutthroat trout without a healed fin clip (usually the adipose fin). You must release any cutthroat trout with all fins intact. Consider releasing large lake trout. Lake trout can easily live more than 35 years in Bear Lake.