Flaming Gorge
Fishing report
Fishing report
- Rating: Good
- Conditions: You'll find fair to good fishing for most species:
Lake trout: Lake trout fishing has been fair. Most of the fish reported have been deep, around 60 to 90 feet, but there have been a few reports of fish much higher in the water column. Anglers recommend various techniques; some have success jigging while others prefer trolling. Everyone agrees that if you can find a school, the hits will be fast and light. A good line (fluorocarbon or braid) helps you feel the strike and get a good hook-set when jigging. You can help the Flaming Gorge fishery by harvesting a limit of smaller lake trout. The limit is eight fish, with one over 28 inches.
Kokanee salmon: Kokanee fishing is fair to good if you can locate a school. Water temperatures at the surface are too warm, so fish about 60 feet down. Although the DWR has stocked millions of kokanee over the last few years, the population remains low due to predation by lake trout and burbot. Anglers need to harvest small lake trout and burbot to reduce their impact on kokanee.
Rainbow trout: Anglers report good fishing from the shoreline and from boats. A boat is essential to access most of the reservoir; however, there is shore fishing near the visitors center (by the dam) and by the boat ramps. Fish are mostly deeper but can still be found close to the shoreline. Look for schools near cliffs, points and submerged ridges.
Smallmouth bass: Bass fishing has been slower than normal, but you can still find fair to good fishing. The fish are deeper this year because spring and summer rainstorms added a few feet of water above the shallow water where they typically spawn. The larger fish are dropping down to the 20-foot range. The cool spring also put them a few weeks behind their normal schedule.
Burbot: To catch burbot, try targeting rocky points and cliffs near the main channel, at depths from 10–50 feet. Use just about anything that glows (e.g., spoons, tube jigs, curly-tailed jigs or minnow jigs) and tip your lure with some type of bait. Place your baits close to the bottom and recharge the glow frequently. It is common to catch a fish immediately after re-glowing and dropping a lure. Burbot hit during the day, but they become more active during the twilight hours. You'll help the Flaming Gorge fishery by harvesting as many burbot as possible. There is no limit on burbot.
- Location: Daggett County
- Directions: Drive 45 miles north of Vernal on US-191
- Type: Fishing
- Size: 42,000 acres
- Elevation: 6,024 feet
- Hours: No restrictions
- Likely catch: Kokanee Salmon, Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass
- Possible catch: Brown Trout, Common Carp, Channel Catfish, Cutthroat Trout
- Regulations: To see what statewide or special regulations apply to this waterbody
- Site amenities: A Forest Service campground in the National Recreation Area around the reservioir, and numerous boat ramps
- Handicap access: Access at the Forest Service campground and boat launching facilities
- Site description: The Wyoming end of the reservoir is quite open and can be extremely rough if the wind blows hard. The Utah portion of the reservoir is mostly in a canyon, so it is more protected from the wind.