Utah - Salt Lake City Fishing Report Today

This is Artificial Lure coming to you with your Salt Lake City fishing update for Wednesday, October 8, 2025. We’re sliding deep into fall patterns, but the weather lately is still hanging on to that late-season warmth—mornings are crisp around 43 degrees, climbing to a sunny afternoon near 70, with a gentle north-northeast breeze giving us just enough chop for a lively surface. Sunrise hit at 7:32 AM, and you’ve got daylight until about 7:01 PM, so plenty of time to hit the water according to weatherforyou.com and solunarforecast.com.

Now, Salt Lake doesn’t get tidal action, so the fish are all about solunar peaks. Best bite windows today line up mid-morning and then again just before sunset, so plan to be on your spot during those times for your best shot.

Utah Wildlife Resources is reporting good energy at local waters. Farmington Bay and the Jordan River are giving up some healthy channel catfish on nightcrawlers and cut bait—most folks are bringing in two to five solid channels per session, with a few running up to 8 pounds. At Utah Lake, the white bass are still active, especially near the boat harbors; small jigs tipped with nightcrawler or even a plain silver Kastmaster have been putting numbers in the boat, with several anglers reporting 20-plus fish mornings.

If trout are your game, Lower Provo River and the mid-section up through Heber Valley continue to fish well with nymphs—zebra midges, sow bugs, and smaller soft hackle patterns. The cooler nights have the browns starting to move, so look for rising activity as we get closer to spawning. Streamers in olive and black—think Woolly Buggers or articulated leeches—are moving a few bigger fish for those willing to put in the time at dawn and dusk.

Bass action at Willard Bay has slowed somewhat as water temps slide into the low 60s, but you can still coax a few largemouth and wipers from the rocky points. The ticket has been a slow-rolled spinnerbait or a green pumpkin chatterbait in the afternoons. Don’t forget dropshotting a small shad-colored soft plastic if you find schooling fish off the dikes.

Locals have been cleaning up on cutthroat and rainbows out at Strawberry Reservoir, especially trolling small gold and orange spoons or drifting PowerBait off Chicken Creek West. Reports say some boats are finding fish stacked 20 to 30 feet down early, then shallower as the sun gets up. You won’t likely see a limit every trip but expect solid hookups if you cover water.

Your best bets for today? For multi-species action, hit Utah Lake’s Lincoln Beach for white bass in the morning and catfish as the sun gets up. Strawberry is prime for bigger trout and a shot at kokanee as they color up, especially near Soldier Creek Bay and the dam face.

Top lures right now: silver and gold spoons, green pumpkin plastics, and black-olive streamers for trout. Nightcrawlers and fresh cut bait will outfish just about anything for cats. For white bass, don’t overthink it—1/16-ounce jigheads with a white twis

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Salt Lake City anglers, Artificial Lure here with your Sunday, October 5th fishing report—let’s get right into it. We’re waking up to some old-school Utah fall weather: a strong cold front rolled in overnight, dropping temps by about 20 degrees compared to Friday, according to KUTV News. Expect steady rain through the morning, with snow above 8,000 feet and a chilly high at least 10 degrees below our seasonal norm. That puts us in the brisk low 50s if you’re headed out. Skies will remain mostly cloudy as we inch through the day, tapering off to lighter showers by late afternoon.

Sunrise hit at 7:09 AM and sunset will close up at 7:34 PM, so you’ve got nearly 12.5 daylight hours to work with. The moon’s a waning crescent—just 17 percent visible—and major solunar bite windows fall from 9:11 to 11:11 AM, then again 9:47 to 11:47 PM, with minor peaks around 4:49 to 6:49 PM. Those mid-morning and pre-dusk stretches are your best shot at active fish, especially since cooler, wet weather gets many species moving.

Now, onto the hot topic—what’s biting and where? The city’s urban fishery scene is alive this October, especially after the recent storm system mixed up water temps and flows.

- **Hot Spots:** Locals are reporting solid luck at Decker Lake—try for channel catfish and aggressive carp along the north shoreline. The Surplus Canal and City Drain are always worth a cast for carp, bass, and even the occasional walleye.

- Mountain Dell Reservoir, a quick drive up Parleys Canyon, is putting out some big rainbows after recent high-country precipitation; remember, it’s artificial lures only up there.

As for gear, the cold front has most trout and bass turning to slower and smaller presentations. Best bets:

- For trout: toss 1/8 to 1/4 ounce silver or gold spinners, small white curly-tail grubs, or natural-color woolly buggers on a fly rod. Dull mornings may also reward a powerbait drop near the bottom, especially at Decker and ponds along the Jordan River.

- Bass: Drop shotting a 3-inch senko in green pumpkin or black-blue flake works great along riprap edges. Spinnerbaits with a white/chartreuse skirt and gold blades have triggered reaction strikes in low light or post-storm murk.

- Catfish: Nightcrawlers and cut bait have been reliable, especially as runoff stirs things up near drains and canal inlets.

Recent catches: Just this week, Decker Lake locals landed several catfish well over five pounds, and reports from the Surplus Canal mention good numbers of carp—some topping the 10-pound mark. A few rare largemouth bass are being caught at dawn on buzzbaits and plastics, as mentioned by WesternBass.com contributors.

Keep in mind that most area waters are still recovering from that strong rain—expect stained, higher water. Use noisy, flashing lures to cut through turbidity and appeal to foraging fish.

Pro tip this week: With the pressure dropping and water cooling fast, focus on deeper edges, inflows, and anywhere runoff creates a visible curren

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Artificial Lure here with your Friday, October 3rd Salt Lake City fishing report. Big Utah fall chill greeting anglers today—expect a cool early start with temperatures in the high 40s at sunrise, climbing to near 80° by late afternoon according to the latest KUTV forecast. Skies are clear, light winds from the south, and no rain on the radar. Sunrise hit at 7:23 AM, sunset will be 7:04 PM; plenty of daylight for chasing bites.

Tidal activity isn’t a relevant metric for our freshwater lakes and streams, but those camping near the Great Salt Lake should know water levels remain low, and the brine shrimp harvest is winding down. Reservoirs like Jordanelle, Deer Creek, and the streams up Big Cottonwood and Mill Creek Canyon have solid flows after late September rain, keeping conditions prime for active fish.

Angler reports from this past week show excellent action across the Wasatch front:

- At **Jordanelle Reservoir**, rainbow trout and smallmouth bass have been biting well, with limits common for boat and shore anglers. PowerBait and chartreuse tube jigs fished near the dam and in shallow coves have yielded steady catches.

- **Deer Creek Reservoir** produced hefty walleye and a few surprise brown trout. Locals have done well trolling crankbaits early or drifting live nightcrawlers mid-morning.

- The Weber River above Ogden is hot for wild brown trout; nymph rigs and small streamers worked slowly through deeper runs are the top tricks.

Best lures this week: Silver and fire-tiger Rapala crankbaits, white or natural-colored tube jigs, and small swimbaits for bass. For trout, try pink or green PowerBait, small gold spoons, and traditional single-egg rigs. Fly anglers are doing best with olive Woolly Buggers, zebra midges, and Blue Wing Olive dry flies in the late afternoons.

Bait recommendations: Nightcrawlers for bass and walleye, chicken-scented PowerBait for rainbows, and salmon eggs for brown trout. Dead-crawlers are also landing a few big perch near the rocks at Rockport Reservoir.

Recent catches:

- Jordanelle: limits of 12–15” rainbows, several 2–3 lb smallmouth bass, and a few sizable perch.

- Deer Creek: multiple walleye up to 21”, healthy brown trout, and smallmouth mixing in the morning bite.

- Weber River: browns up to 18”, with streamers producing best.

- Utah Lake: catfish and white bass numbers holding steady; cut bait and shad-imitating minnows taking most fish.

**Hot Spots to Try Today**:

- The dam area at Jordanelle Reservoir for trout and bass.

- Provo River below Deer Creek Dam for brown and rainbow trout (watch water releases).

- Lindon Boat Harbor at Utah Lake for catfish and white bass in the afternoon.

No crowding issues on the water and DNR game wardens have increased patrols, so make sure your license is up-to-date. Fall is prime time before the big cold rolls in—don’t miss the window!

Thanks for tuning in to the Salt Lake City fishing report. Drop a comment with your biggest catch this week, and don’t forget to subsc

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Good morning anglers, Artificial Lure here with your October 1, 2025, fishing report for Salt Lake City and surrounding northern Utah waters.

We’re starting the day under a high-pressure dome—expect clear skies with just a light breeze kicking in by noon and temps rising from the low 40s at sunrise to topping out in the high 70s. According to National Weather Service data, sunrise hit at 7:23 AM and sunset will be at 7:12 PM tonight. No tidal swings to worry about here, folks—remember, Utah's big lakes are freshwater!

For those heading out now, conditions are prime for a day on the water. Water temperatures at most area reservoirs—like Jordanelle and Deer Creek—are holding in the mid to upper 60s, which is above average for early October. This warm weather has kept the fish in late-summer patterns, so don’t rush to those deep fall spots just yet.

In recent days, Jordanelle anglers have reported good numbers of **rainbow trout** and some chunky **brown trout** coming out early and late. Shore anglers have been hooking rainbows on PowerBait and nightcrawlers. Trollers are scoring well with silver-and-blue Rapalas and wedding ring spinners tipped with a chunk of worm. The kokanee salmon are staging but not yet running hard—expect that to improve with the next cold front.

At Deer Creek Reservoir, walleye action has been decent, especially along the rocky points near the dam and island. Your best bet is a **3/8 oz jig** tipped with a minnow or nightcrawler, slow-hopped in 20-30 feet of water. Locals swear by perch or firetiger crankbaits trolled over the flats for a shot at bigger fish. Smallmouth bass are still hanging on deep weedlines—drop-shotting a green pumpkin Senko has produced solid numbers.

Utah Lake is seeing plenty of **white bass** activity, with fast bites at first light in the Lincoln Beach and American Fork areas. These fish are smashing small swimbaits, curly tail grubs, and chartreuse Rooster Tails. Catfish reports are strong as well—big channel cats are moving onto flats at dusk, taking chunks of sucker meat or shrimp.

Pineview up in Ogden Valley, meanwhile, has had some excellent **crappie** and **perch** fishing in the flooded brush—try a white or chartreuse tube jig under a bobber. Tiger muskie are active with the warm water, and evening topwater has been hot for those willing to cast big walk-the-dog baits along the weed edges.

For fly anglers, Provo River flows are steady, and fish are looking up. The trico hatch is on in the mornings, with midges and blue-wing olives as the day warms up. Nymphers are still catching plenty on small pheasant tails and zebra midges.

Hot spots for today:

- **Jordanelle Reservoir** (boat ramp cove and dam area)—great for trout and a chance at some early kokanee.

- **Utah Lake, Lincoln Beach**—for white bass and cats, especially with light tackle at sunrise.

Best lures this week are **silver-and-blue Rapalas, 1/8 to 1/4 oz tube jigs in white or chartreuse, and Ned rigs in green pumpkin**. B

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Artificial Lure here, bringing your Salt Lake City, Utah fishing report for Sunday, September 28, 2025. Step outside and you’ll feel that unmistakable early fall chill. Dawn cracked with sunrise at 7:17 AM, lighting up the Wasatch. Tonight, sunset hits at 7:13 PM—prime opportunity for those golden-hour bites. No tides to report for freshwater, but low barometric pressure and a cool, partly cloudy morning push fish into feeding mode. Expect a warming trend by mid-morning, with highs around the upper 60s and a light breeze—ideal autumn angling weather, especially with the changing leaves reflecting off local waters.

The past week’s fishing action in and around Salt Lake has been lively, especially for those targeting bass, trout, and catfish. Up at Jordanelle Reservoir, folks have been reporting healthy numbers of smallmouth and largemouth, most falling in the 1–3 pound range, with a few pushing over 4. Drop shot rigs with natural 3-inch soft plastics and Texas-rigged black and blue beaver baits have been hot. A couple of anglers out of Rockport hooked into some chunky cutthroat trout using gold spoons and chartreuse PowerBait—late September means these trout are chasing a little more aggressively as water temps cool.

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources reports rainbow trout stocking in the last two weeks at places like Kaysville Ponds and the Jordan River Parkway lakes, so family-friendly fishing is strong. Salmon eggs, nightcrawlers, and pink or orange marshmallow baits under a slip float are filling limits, especially in the early mornings.

If you’re chasing warmwater species, Utah Lake’s harbor areas are producing decent white bass and channel cats. Cut shad and shrimp are the baits of choice, with catfish up to 8 pounds landed near Provo Boat Harbor just yesterday. Throw a swim jig or crankbait for white bass—they’re schooling up along rocky points.

For bass hounds, Pineview Reservoir is yielding steady smallmouth bites around submerged shrub lines and rocky drop-offs. Anglers are having success with shakey heads and green pumpkin stickbaits, especially around midday. Spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits are also drawing reaction strikes as the sun climbs.

Bait-wise, this week’s go-tos across our region:

- Soft plastics: 3–4 inch stickbaits in green pumpkin, watermelon, and black/blue

- Swimbaits and jerkbaits imitating native shad or perch

- Crankbaits with gold or chartreuse reflectivity

- Traditional nightcrawlers for panfish and trout

- Cut bait or chicken liver for catfish at Utah Lake and the Lower Jordan

Hot spots to focus your efforts:

- **Jordanelle State Park boat launch coves**: Early morning for largemouth and smallmouth, especially on the weed edges.

- **Provo Boat Harbor, Utah Lake**: Anchor near the drop-offs for cats and white bass with bait, or jig plastics along the rocks.

- And don’t sleep on the **Jordan River Parkway ponds** for kid-friendly trout and bluegill.

AnglersChannel shares that fall patterns mean fish are m

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It’s Artificial Lure with your Saturday morning Salt Lake City area fishing report for September 27, 2025.

The sun rose at 7:19 AM and sets around 7:18 PM today. No tides here in the mountain West, but expect low wind early and clear, crisp fall air—temps climbing from the upper 40s at dawn to a pleasant high around 73. Autumn’s working its magic on the water, cooling things off and really revving up fish activity.

Let’s kick things off with local catches. Jordanelle and Deer Creek Reservoirs have been producing solid numbers of **rainbow trout** and **smallmouth bass** this week, along with some chunky **brown trout** in the deeper pools. Recent reports from the Utah Division of Wildlife say anglers pulling double-digit numbers of rainbows with a mix of sizes – most in the 12-17 inch range. Smallies are especially aggressive right now, taking deep-diving crankbaits and soft plastics fished slow along rocky points. Word from electric lake echoes the same, with cutthroat and rainbows chasing bait at dawn and dusk. Fish are feeding up for winter and showing consistent action, especially near inflows and drop-offs.

In the rivers nearby, Provo River continues to deliver up wild **brown trout** and ***rainbows*** eager for drifting nymphs or small streamers. The Weber’s seeing moderate flows and plenty of rising trout; dry flies like Blue-Winged Olives and midges in the afternoon have drawn strikes. Early risers report best success—once the sun gets high, it slows until late afternoon.

Fall fishing is picking up in the high country too, with Bear River and the High Uintas lakes waking up as the water cools. Blacksmith Fork is a sleeper hotspot this time of year and fall foliage is making for a pretty drive and even prettier trout waiting to be fooled.

Now let’s talk tactics. The most productive lures for reservoir trout have been **silver and gold spoons, Rooster Tails, and Rapalas** in perch pattern or plain black. Bass are smashing ***crawfish-colored jigs, Ned rigs, and Texas-rigged plastics**—natural colors work best. For bait, it’s hard to beat worms for trout, either on the bottom or suspended under a bobber. Anglers soaking cut bait are catching bigger rainbows and browns. Fly folks should run olive or black woolly buggers, and keep a few zebra midges or pheasant tails handy for nymphing.

Stripers and wipers at Willard Bay are feeding heavily—chasing shad and schooling close to the inlet. The best bets have been **white swimbaits, bucktail jigs, and live shad** when you can find them. According to recent outdoors columns, anglers chasing ghost shad schools with sonar are finding the most action at dawn.

For hot spots today:

- **Jordanelle Reservoir inlet** – consistent trout, some big browns lurking at the mouth

- **Deer Creek rock piles**, especially near Wallsburg Bay, for smallmouth and rainbows

- **Provo River stretch at Vivian Park**, best numbers of wild browns and still a touch of dry fly action

- **Willard Bay North Marina** fo

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Artificial Lure on the line, bringing you today’s fishing report for Salt Lake City and the surrounding Wasatch Front, Friday, September 26th, 2025.

We kicked off this crisp early fall morning with a sunrise at 7:17 AM, and anglers can expect sunset tonight at 7:23 PM. The weather is classic autumn—temperatures starting brisk in the low 50s, creeping up to the mid-70s by afternoon, with clear skies and a light breeze. If you’re planning a day outside, layer up early and break out the sunglasses by lunch.

Salt Lake itself doesn’t have tidal action because it's inland, but water levels are moderate to good. According to Snoflo, streamflows across Utah are currently at 82% of normal. The Provo River at River Road Bridge is running strong for this time of year at 546cfs, well above its September average, and Spanish Fork at Castilla saw a recent bump in flows, now sitting at 228cfs. Surface water in local reservoirs—Deer Creek, Jordanelle, and East Canyon—is stable, but lower than peak summer, so fish are moving out of the deep and cruising the drop-offs and shallows.

Recent catches in local waters have been solid. Anglers at Jordanelle and Deer Creek reported consistent action on rainbow trout, with several healthy browns mixed in. Utah Lake continues to produce channel catfish and white bass, with the bass bite on the uptick as cooling temps spark fall feeding frenzies. Black bass up at Pineview and Mantua are feeding hard near submerged brush and rocky points as baitfish school up. Reports from the Utah Wildlife Forum say fishing the alpine lakes with woolly buggers on a spinning rod is still putting plenty of trout on the stringer, especially from shore early and late in the day.

The best lures right now:

- For trout: gold or silver Kastmasters and small inline spinners like Panther Martins. Fly anglers are still scoring with olive or black woolly buggers and zebra midges under an indicator.

- For bass: try small soft plastics—Senko-style worms in green pumpkin or black—and slow-rolled spinnerbaits in natural shad colors.

- For catfish: stink baits and cut bait fished tight to the bottom near river mouths or deep holes after sunset.

- For white bass: anything flashy and quick—chrome or chartreuse jigging spoons, and small twisters bounced along the bottom will get you fast strikes.

Hot spots for today:

- Jordanelle Reservoir: fish the east banks and creek inlets for trout, switching to small crankbaits if the bite gets tough.

- Utah Lake State Park: the rocky points and marina cuts are kicking out white bass and catfish.

- Lower Provo River: flowing steady, and the riffles and tailouts below bridges have been giving up rainbows and browns all week.

Remember, with the fall colors popping, fish are on the move—focus on transition areas where summer deepwater meets shallow flats, and hit shaded structure as the sun rises. If you’re heading for alpine lakes, a solid spinning rod with lightweight buggers or spoons can still outfish elaborate rig

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Artificial Lure here with your Salt Lake City area fishing report for Wednesday, September 24th, 2025. Sunrise hit at 7:16 AM, with sunset rolling in around 7:27 PM. Mostly clear skies today with crisp fall air—highs near 73°F and a gentle breeze just enough to ruffle the water but not enough to mess with your casts. As you know, there’s no tidal action on our local reservoirs and rivers, so it’s all about watching those flows and the bite window.

The fall transition is officially here. Western Rivers Flyfisher says flows are up a bit on the Middle Provo—about 607 CFS out of Jordanelle, so fish are spread and hugging those river edges. On the Lower Provo, flows are down to 253 CFS; look for trout prowling deeper channels and structure, especially around rocks, drop-offs, and bubble lines. Fish are actively feeding late morning and into the evening, focusing on small mayfly hatches and terrestrial insects.

Expect the banks to be busy—fishing pressure is high this week. River etiquette is crucial: give folks space and fish the less-trafficked pockets along the edges for the best shot at rising trout. On the Weber River, flows are very fishable—159-285 CFS depending on section—but wade carefully. The tall grassy banks make terrestrials the go-to.

For flies, the Western Rivers crew recommends:

- **Pseudocloeon mayflies** (#20-24) and **Trico dries** mid-late morning.

- **Caddis dries and emergers** (#14-18) peaking in the evening.

- **Terrestrials** like ants, beetles, and grasshoppers are premier this week (hoppers especially).

- On the nymph side, sow bugs, Hare’s Ears, Pheasant Tails, and Copper Johns are turning up browns and rainbows.

- If things are slow, try **streamer fishing** (olive or black) in deep holes early and late.

Recent catches logged by Fishbrain show browns, rainbows, and a solid showing of channel catfish and carp in the region’s lakes including Jordanelle, Echo, and Great Salt Lake. Common carp continue to dominate the shallows when the sun’s out. Brown trout and rainbows are the go-to in the Provo and Weber, and bass bite is reliable in the morning hours at East Canyon Reservoir with soft plastics and shad-imitating swimbaits, as reported by Hooked on Outdoors.

If you want guaranteed bites, bring nightcrawlers or cutbait for the cats, but trout are taking small jigs tipped with worm near structure.

Here’s your list of hotspots worth the drive:

- **Middle Provo River:** Park at River Road, fish terrestrials along grassy banks and structure.

- **Weber River below Echo Reservoir:** Stretches near Coalville and Morgan—look for pocket water and undercut banks.

- **Jordanelle Reservoir:** Bass are schooling near the rock points in the early hours; topwater in the morning, crankbaits or jigs mid-day.

- **East Canyon Reservoir:** Bass and rainbows hitting plastics and spinners by the main boat ramp.

Mirror Lake Highway is producing for those willing to hike a bit—high altitude streams and ponds are on fire with hoppers and sma

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Artificial Lure here, reporting on Salt Lake City's late September fishing scene—Sunday, September 21, 2025 at 10:36 AM MDT. We’re swinging deep into fall, and the weather’s really working with us: clear skies, crisp highs around 77°F, and light winds under five knots. Sunrise was at 7:14 AM with sunset hitting at 7:24 PM, leaving us nearly 12 hours of prime casting light and a sweet evening bite coming in right before dusk.

Local reservoirs are looking healthy, with Utah streamflows at 82% of normal—Spanish Fork and Provo River especially are seeing solid surges, making for lively waters and happy fish. Water temps in the area are sitting right in the mid-60s, ideal for trout and bass to get active. With no ocean nearby, there’s no tide to factor, so we’re purely working river and lake cycles for that fish frenzy.

This week, anglers around Salt Lake City have been pulling in consistent numbers of **rainbow trout, channel catfish, and bluegill** from Utah Lake and Oquirrh Lake. Bigger stories trickle out from the Provo River as well, with **brown trout** showing solid mid-day action. Carp are running strong in the shallows, giving bowfishermen and catch-and-release folks plenty of sport. If you're chasing bass, Strawberry Reservoir has coughed up some fat smallmouths, especially in rocky coves near drop-offs.

Lure selection is critical now as water clarity is good and temperatures drop. Locals are getting hookups on:

- **Silver and gold spinners** (Panther Martin, Blue Fox) for trout in flowing water.

- **Soft plastics** (green pumpkin Senko, curly-tail grubs) for bass, especially late afternoon.

- **Cut bait and stink bait** for catfish—around Utah Lake’s marshy edges.

- **Worms floated below bobbers**—always reliable for panfish and kids.

For hardcore fly anglers, the Provo and Weber Rivers are running BWO and caddis hatches mid-morning and late afternoon—size 18-20 dries and beaded nymphs are pulling double-duty.

If you’re looking for a couple of hot spots this weekend, here’s where the bite’s been on:

- **Provo River (River Road Bridge area):** Trout and whitefish are hitting hard; wade the riffles and work deep pools just downstream.

- **Utah Lake at Lindon Marina:** Loads of catfish action and good carp runs on dough balls and worms.

- **Big Cottonwood Creek** near Spruces Campground is producing wild browns for the patient—try small spoons or flies tight to the brush.

- **Oquirrh Lake** (Daybreak): Easy access, fun panfish, and the odd largemouth—stick to early mornings as rec traffic picks up fast.

Keep your rigs light and use fluorocarbon leaders; these clearer waters make fish a bit spooky. Reports from Sportsman’s Warehouse say **topwater plugs** and **spinnerbaits** are also hot right at dusk on Utah Lake for aggressive bass.

No major events on tap today but watch out for dark sky programs at the state parks if you’re camping out late—star parties start up around 9 PM. And if you’re night fishing, glow-in-the-dark jigs and th

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Artificial Lure here with your Salt Lake City fishing report for Saturday, September 20, 2025, and folks, we've got some prime fall conditions setting up along the Wasatch Front and the valley waters.

First off, **sunrise hit at 7:08 AM and we'll see sunset at 7:54 PM tonight**, giving us a nice twelve-and-three-quarter-hour window to work those lines. The moon’s in a waxing crescent at 25%, with moonrise at 9:35 AM, bringing decent light for those early risers. The best bite windows—what solunar charts call “major periods”—are from **5:12 to 7:12 AM and again from 5:43 to 7:43 PM**. So your prime shots at aggressive fish are right around breakfast and dinner. We've got a stable weather pattern: cool mornings in the 50s, highs climbing to the mid-70s by afternoon, and mainly clear skies with a slight west breeze, which always helps to stir up the bite.

Tide-wise, for the Salt Lake area, we're fishing in reservoirs and coldwater lakes—so no true tides, but those lunar periods still get fish moving. Now, let’s talk fish activity:

**Jordanelle Reservoir** is holding steady as a top hotspot. Anglers have been pulling in good numbers of *rainbow trout* and *smallmouth bass* right off the points and along deeper weed edges. Early morning trolling with flashy silver and blue spoons, or chartreuse crankbaits, has been money for rainbows. As day breaks, switch to spinners or Ned rigs along the riprap for smallies. The bass have moved deeper—to about 12-18 feet—so focus around submerged structure and bouy lines. Best baits in the box right now? Berkley Power Worms in green pumpkin, Trout Magnets for the panfish, and live nightcrawlers for bonus trout.

Up at **East Canyon Reservoir**, folks are reporting plenty of *cutthroat trout* early on a combo of PowerBait (especially orange or chartreuse) and small gold Kastmasters. As water temperatures cool overnight, trout are cruising shallows near shore, especially where creeks feed in.

For those up for a unique scene, the marinas and causeways at the **Great Salt Lake** itself have been active for *carp* and some *channel catfish*. Dough baits and corn kernels are favorites here. Expect less crowding, wide scenery, and the odd chance for a big channel cat as evening sets in.

Keep an eye on *local streams* like Big Cottonwood and Little Cottonwood creeks. Lower flows and clear water mean spooky trout, so use 4x tippet and smaller nymphs or dries—Parachute Adams and #18 hare’s ears have deceived wary browns and cutthroat this week, especially in shaded pocket water.

Recent creel reports from Utah Division of Wildlife Resources note a steady string of catches for rainbows (14–18 inches) and a resurgence of smallmouth in the main lakes, with a few walleye showing up at Rockport and Echo around dusk. Larger walleyes have been hitting deep-running crankbaits in perch and firetiger colors—try leadcore if you can reach 25-30 feet off main lake points.

As for **hot spots**:

- The *Jordanelle Hailstone boat laun

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