Bear Lake The ice on Bear Lake has thawed. On April 18, the entire lake was open water. However, huge ice slabs have piled up along the eastern shore, and launching is not currently possible at the First Point and Rainbow Cove ramps. Utah State Parks is working to clear the ice and get the courtesy docks reinstalled at both ramps. Boats can currently be launched only at the Bear Lake State Park marina. We dont have an updated on-the-lake fishing report since no one has been able to access the lake in several weeks due to deteriorated ice and no open water. However, historically when the ice thaws and open water appears fishing is typically very good. The fish have not seen a lure in nearly a month!
Good spots to try when trolling are from First Point north to the scout camp, along the delta areas near North Eden and South Eden, parallel to the shoreline at Cisco Beach, and from the state park marina north to Fish Haven Creek. Since the water is still very cold, troll slowly with flat lines in shallow water 10 to 25 feet deep. Run your lines 150 feet or more behind your boat. The fish are easily spooked by boats in the shallow water, but will move back into areas after the boat passes. Trolling your lure 150 feet or more behind your boat can be a very productive method in the early season. If youre jigging, try water depths ranging from 25 to 60 feet deep in the same areas as those listed for trolling. Use a 1/2- to 1-ounce jig with a tube, twister tail or swim bait tipped with a piece of cisco or other fish meat. You can also use a 1/2-ounce jigging spoon such as a Kastmaster or Swedish Pimple. Jig right on the bottom, bumping bottom and coming up about 12 to 18 inches. 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. The fin clip regulation for cutthroat trout changed in January 2022 and any cutthroat trout can be kept up to the 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.
