Bear Lake Boat launching is available at the Utah State Park Marina on the west side of the lake. Launching is also available at the First Point and Rainbow Cove ramps on the lakes east side, but the water level on the east side is low. The First Point and Rainbow Cove ramps are now considered use at your own risk due to concrete at the end of the ramps having a drop-off of nearly a foot or more. If you use either of these ramps, make sure you dont back your trailer tires over the bottom edge of the ramp, as it might be very difficult to pull your boat and trailer back out. Not going off the end of the ramp will also prevent costly damage to your trailer, especially if youre towing a larger boat. The low-water concrete ramp at Cisco Beach is now usable, but youll need a four-wheel-drive vehicle as the shoreline above the ramp is rocky.
The surface water temperature has dropped into the 50s. Lake trout are still spawning, but the spawn is slowing down. With the cooler water temperatures, both cutthroat and lake trout can now be found in shallower water. Boat anglers are catching fish trolling with flatfish and jointed minnow lures in bright colors (yellows/oranges) off Cisco Beach in 20 to 80 feet of water using downriggers or lead-core line. Try to keep your lure close to the bottom or even digging into the bottom, in some cases. Shore anglers are catching lake trout off the Utah State Park Marina, the North Beach Jetty and along Cisco Beach.
Shoreline anglers are also catching some cutthroat trout in these same areas too. If youre casting, try large spinners (No. 5 and No. 6) such as Mepps, Vibrax and Roostertails. If youre fly fishing, try large sculpin patterns or large, articulated bunny fur leech patterns. As the lake trout spawn winds down, the fish will start feeding more, and jigging from boats for both lake trout and cutthroat trout should improve. Good spots to try are off the "rockpile," First Point, Second Point and off the rock piles just north of the Utah State Park Marina. Start in 30 to 80 feet of water, and keep moving until you find active fish. Use a 1/2- to 1-ounce jig with a 4- to 6-inch tube, twister tail or swim bait tipped with a piece of cisco or other fish meat. Let the jig bounce right on the bottom, lifting it up about 12 to 18 inches and then dropping it back. Many of the strikes happen when the lure is falling back to the bottom, so pay attention to your line. If you notice the lure/line stops sinking, set the hook and hold on! Reminder: The trout limit is two fish. There is no longer a fin clip regulation for cutthroat trout, so you can keep any cutthroat trout up to your two fish limit. Lake trout take a long time to reach a large size. While large lake trout are legal to keep, many anglers are encouraging other anglers to release them. If you plan on releasing fish, try to land the fish quickly and then get it back into the water without any delays. You may consider using a descending device that allows you to decompress the fish and release it into deeper water.
