3 Utah waters with amazing scenery and great fishing in February
SALT LAKE CITY — If you don’t ski or snowboard, winter in Utah can feel never-ending. But another great way to get outdoors is embarking on an afternoon or a weekend of ice fishing. Here are three spots that offer great fishing in February as well as incredible views to help you forget the cold temperatures:
Flaming Gorge Reservoir
Flaming Gorge Reservoir is well-known for its amazing fishing, and wintertime is no different. Located in the northeastern corner of the state, half of this large reservoir is in Utah and the other half crosses into Wyoming. The northern side typically freezes over in the winter, while the Utah side of the reservoir often has open water, giving you the option to do both types of fishing in the winter. However, the reservoir does freeze completely over some winters, so be sure to check fishing reports on the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources website for conditions.
“Flaming Gorge has a lot of awesome fishing opportunities in the winter,” DWR Sportfish Coordinator Randy Oplinger said. “The open water areas are great for those who like to fish from shore and boat, and ice anglers can fish the frozen areas. Flaming Gorge has a lot of fish species, and many of them like the cool, winter months.”
This waterbody offers lake trout, kokanee salmon, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, smallmouth bass and burbot. While you’re more unlikely to catch smallmouth bass in the winter due to the cold temperatures, you can catch the other species on both sides of the reservoir, although you typically have better odds of catching kokanee salmon in the open water.
Burbot, a tasty, coldwater cod-like species, were illegally introduced into Flaming Gorge, and so any burbot you catch must be kept. Winter is a great time to catch them, and you are encouraged to target them to help remove them from the reservoir. You can also make a difference by keeping lake trout under 25 inches to help thin the population.
“We have too many of them in the reservoir and thinning that size will help increase the number of trophy sized fish,” Oplinger said.
Fish Lake
Fish Lake is another great place to go fishing in February. It offers lake trout, yellow perch, kokanee salmon and rainbow trout. Fish Lake has a lot of perch, and winter is a great time to catch them. The DWR hosts an annual perch ice fishing tournament at Fish Lake, and this year it will be held Feb. 22 from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Small jigs or ice flies tipped with mealworms, wax worms or nightcrawlers are great to use when targeting perch or smaller trout, and you should fish closer to the shoreline for these species. To catch larger lake trout and splake, try fishing at depths of 20-40 feet and use larger jigs and bait.
“Fish Lake is unique because it has good fishing access during the winter and is full of fish species that are easy to catch under the ice,” Oplinger said.
Green River
While it might seem unusual to fish a stream during the winter, the Green River offers great fishing during the winter months and is much less crowded than during the summer. It is one of the most popular trout fishing rivers in Utah, offering brown and rainbow trout, both of which can be caught during the winter. Fly fishing (primarily by drift boat or wading) is popular, even in the winter months, but be sure to dress appropriately so you stay warm. You can also fish successfully from the shoreline, using bait and lures.
“The Green River is unique because it is the largest trout stream in Utah by depth and width,” Oplinger said. “It is one of the few opportunities for you to use a drift boat while fishing in Utah.”
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DWR reintroduces bighorn sheep to Antelope Island
SALT LAKE CITY — A year after a contagious respiratory disease decimated a bighorn sheep herd at Antelope Island State Park, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources successfully reintroduced a new herd of 25 bighorn sheep to the island on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
Bighorn sheep existed on Antelope Island prior to European settlement of the area, but by the early 1900s, bighorn sheep were no longer found on the island. The first reintroduction of the animals on the island occurred in 1997 when 29 bighorn sheep were released. That herd thrived and eventually provided almost 250 bighorn sheep to start three additional herds around Utah.
In November 2018, DWR biologists discovered that some of the GPS-collared bighorn sheep on Antelope Island were dying, and by December 2018, the cause had been confirmed as respiratory disease. In order to avoid chronic respiratory disease and to reestablish a healthy herd of bighorn sheep, the remaining bighorn sheep on the island were euthanized in January 2019.
DWR officials worked with several organizations, including Utah State Parks, Utah Wild Sheep Foundation and other conservation groups, laboratories, Wildlife Services and KUIU, to get a new bighorn sheep herd reintroduced to Antelope Island. Twenty-five bighorn sheep were captured on the Rocky Boy’s Reservation in Montana and relocated to the island on Wednesday.
Ultralight performance hunting gear company KUIU and KUIU customers purchased the bighorn sheep, directed all the logistics at Rocky Boy’s Reservation, and funded the capture and relocation from Montana to Utah, as part of its ongoing mission of wildlife conservation.
“This is a huge win for bighorn sheep in the West,” Brendan Burns, KUIU’s Chief Hunting Officer and Conservation Director, said. “This project shows the power of what’s possible when the hunting community works together toward a common conservation goal to drive real results.”
In an effort to prevent any future disease outbreaks, Antelope Island State Park officials constructed a wildlife fence on the southern end of the island. The fence should prevent bighorn sheep from leaving the island and coming into possible contact with any animals carrying the pathogens that cause respiratory disease. DWR biologists tested each bighorn sheep for disease before releasing the new animals, and GPS collars were also placed on each of the bighorns so the animals can be monitored. Biologists will continue to perform periodic health assessments of the herd to monitor their condition.
“Antelope Island is thrilled to once again be a home for bighorn sheep,” Antelope Island State Park Manager Jeremy Shaw said. “We are excited that visitors will again have the opportunity to see these animals in the wild when they visit our park.”
The DWR is working to add some additional animals to the herd and has an eventual management goal of 125 bighorns on Antelope Island.
“Antelope Island has already proven itself as an invaluable resource for bighorn sheep in Utah, due to its ideal rugged habitat and relative isolation,” DWR Bighorn Sheep Biologist Jace Taylor said. “Even though the previous Antelope Island bighorn herd was lost, there are currently more than 600 bighorns in Utah that are descended from the 29 bighorns brought to Antelope Island in 1997. We hope this new bighorn herd will be even more successful and help provide a bright future for bighorn sheep across all of Utah.”
