This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Ryan Mosley, Flaming Gorge Project Leader for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, found time to do some recreational fishing in the midst of the hectic annual spring netting survey.
The weather has been filled with periodic rain and cooler temps which will continue through the holiday weekend. Fortunately the fish don't seem to mind, they're already wet. Coupled with netting that we've conducted the last couple of weeks, fishing reports, and my own fishing experiences, I have some info and suggestions that I hope will provide anglers some success if heading to the Gorge this weekend. Water temps are currently 50-55F. Rainbow trout- Success has been high all spring, but mostly for fish engaged in the spawn. During our netting we saw most of the rainbows are now post-spawn but actively feeding in the shallows. Diets varied from zooplankton, chironimids, crayfish, snails, flying ants, and scuds. Rainbow trout are just so opportunistic in Flaming Gorge. We also saw a variety of size classes from recently stocked 8-inch fish all the way up to "beefy" 3lbers. As a result of this variety there are also many techniques to target rainbows. I prefer to cast small tube jigs and marabou jigs towards shore and earthtones will now work great! I also pick-up quite a few while casting Xraps for smallmouth bass, and during my last outing they couldn't leave the "hot pink" Xrap alone. Fly fishermen do well with the appropriate patterns, including dry flies like ants, cicadas, and mayflies. Rainbow trout are also a common catch for anglers trolling for kokanee salmon, and shoreline anglers soaking worms or Powerbait. Smallmouth Bass- They are in a holding pattern awaiting warmer surface temps to spawn. Most of the bass we netted this past week were females, and a few of those were larger fish up to 3.5 lbs. Diets were mostly crayfish but we also saw some with small white suckers. Due to the cooler temps, a good search bait is the Rapala Xrap in rainbow trout, pink, or silver. This suspending jerkbait provokes aggressive strikes. Change the cadence to find what they want, but start with a "jerk, jerk, then long pause". Many of the hits are on the pause. Rainbow trout and even the occasional lake trout may also take this offering. Jigs are a go-to smallmouth bass bait, like curly tailed grubs in earthtone colors, rigged on a 1/4-3/8 oz jig head. Inline image 3 Kokanee Salmon- They have been a highlight this spring and the rainy weather only seems to increase angler success. Last weekend we caught limits of fish in the Canyon reach up to 17-inches and about 2 lbs. Most of the fish have been shallow, 0-10 feet, but watch the graph because kokanee will also show-up deeper when the sun is high and as the water warms. A variety of lures will work, including, but not limited to: Cripplures, Needlefish, RMT Viper spoons, and dodgers with squids. Lures with pink or orange are always a good choice. Troll 1.6-2.2 mph. Lake Trout- Activity is picking up, specifically for pups. Big fish are always present although not necessarily willing to bite. In our netting last week we saw some really nice lakers up to 23 lbs in shallow water. Most were targeting small rainbow trout, kokanee salmon, and even midge pupae. Pups are commonly found in larger schools while trolling deeper this time of year. Watch the graph while trolling for kokes and be prepared to drop your downrigger to hook-up on some pup lake trout. They'll hit a variety of lures, like the kokanee gear describe above, but also consider Northland Forage Minnow casting spoons and small Rapala Shad Raps. As always, it's good to harvest small lake trout to maintain good predator/prey balance in the reservoir and they are exceptional table fare! Hope this helps and everyone has a safe and enjoyable Memorial Holiday! Ryan