Idaho Fish Report

The Bonneville whitefish run is in full swing right now and should continue through next week. Try using a light-action spinning rod with four- to six-pound line and 1/16- to 1/8-ounce jigs tipped with a one-inch piece of nightcrawler or mealworm. Anglers have reported catching both cutthroat trout and whitefish along the Cisco Beach area. Anglers off the Utah State Park marina also reported catching some really nice cutthroat, but the whitefish fishing has been a bit slower. Cast along the rocky shoreline and keep your lure right near the bottom for the best results. Anglers report catching both cutthroat and lake trout by trolling with downriggers and flatfish in the U-20 and T-4 sizes. Try fishing the rockpile area off Ideal Beach Resort in 40 to 60 feet of water and from along Cisco Beach northward to North Eden. You may also want to fish the area from just off the Utah State Park marina to the artificial rockpile (about one-quarter mile north of the marina) in 30 to 35 feet of water. Begin trolling at about 1.4 to 1.9 miles per hour, but try going faster or slower to figure out what the fish want that day. Focus on jigging for both lake trout and cutthroat trout, and use tube jigs tipped with cisco in the same locations mentioned above.

The water levels are very good. You can launch all sizes of boat at the Utah State Park marina and off the east side at the 1st Point boat ramp. Due to icy conditions along the shoreline, the docks have been removed at the Rainbow Cove and Cisco Beach boat ramps.

Remember, in order to keep a cutthroat trout from Bear Lake, it must have a healed fin clip (usually the adipose fin). Cutthroat trout with all fins intact have to be released, including fish that are tagged with all of their fins. You may also want to consider releasing large lake trout to help maintain the fishery.