This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

As the Burbot Bash gets closer the ice continue to thicken and expand its reach on Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Ryan Mosley, Flaming Gorge Project Leader for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources sent in this report Wednesday. Brrrrr.

Ice continues to grow and as of January 16 there was even some ice starting to form in Linwood and Sheep Creek bays. Maybe we'll get to ice fish the Utah portion of the reservoir this year! Safe ice now extends down to the Pipeline, with the exception of some open water pockets in the main lake near Anvil Draw. The inconsistencies in ice on the Gorge can be treacherous, so always take precautions while venturing around on the ice, especially at night. We fished as far north as Holmes Crossing last night and found 9-inches of solid, clear ice.We braved the cold and wind for a few hours and found the fishing to be really good for both lake trout and burbot. Lake trout pups were active along main channel points in 60 ft of water. They hit a variety of lures tipped with sucker meat, including Rapala Jigging Shad Raps, Northland Buckshot spoons, and 3-4 inch tube jigs. Active jigging worked best. We found burbot still haunting the shallows in 10-40 ft. Last night they appeared to prefer dead-sticked presentations over active ones, and fell victim to a variety of glow lures tipped with sucker meat. I still prefer the 4-inch Yamamoto single tailed grubs rigged on a 3/8 oz jighead due to their simplicity and overall effectiveness. The Burbot Bash is only 2-weeks away and it looks like there will be plenty of safe ice for this year's event! Good luck and be safe on the ice, Ryan