Idaho Fish Report

The Utah portion is ice free, but be on the lookout for floating debris.


Kokanee salmon: If you can locate a school, kokanee fishing is good. Schools are deep, so try jigging with a small jigging spoon.


Rainbow trout: Most anglers report good fishing. Spoons, jigs and crankbaits work well from the shore and boats. We've received reports of small schools cruising the shoreline. Fishing is good off rocky points and in the backs of some of the bays.


Lake trout: Lake trout fishing is fair to good. Schools, small groups and singles can be found anywhere. If you mark a group, try holding position and then drop a vertical presentation, like a jigging spoon (chartreuse) or 3-inch tube jig (white). Tip your lure with a small chunk of sucker meat and vary jigging activity until you learn the fish's behavior. You could also try trolling through or just above the school and along the shorelines as the fish cruise for food. Try different crankbaits or brightly colored spoons. Anglers can continue to help the Flaming Gorge fishery (kokanee, rainbows and lake trout) by harvesting a limit of small lake trout, which are tasty and abundant in the reservoir.


Smallmouth bass: There haven't been any recent reports. The bass are still deep.


Burbot: Try fishing at sunset along the rocky points, cliffs and the old channels. Burbot will hit during the day, generally in the deeper waters; however, they become more active during the twilight hours when they move into the shallows to forage. If you're fishing from the shore or from a boat, fish the bottom, or just slightly above it, in depths from 10 to 50 feet. Use just about anything that glows (spoons, tube jigs, curly-tailed jigs, minnow, jigging spoons) and tip it with some type of bait (cut bait, like sucker meat, is recommended). Place your lure within inches of the bottom and recharge the glow frequently. It is common to catch a fish immediately after recharging and dropping a lure. You'll help the Flaming Gorge fishery (including kokanee) by harvesting as many burbot as possible. There is no limit on burbot, and in Utah they must be killed; they cannot be returned alive.