Utah has always been and likely will always be a trout state. There are, however, a growing number of anglers attracted to warm-water fish.

Lake Powell, for example, is one of Utah's most popular spots and offers up striped bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, crappie, bluegill and walleye.

Flaming Gorge, noted for trout fishing, is also a prime water for smallmouth bass.

Pelican Lake, noted for bass and bluegill, is also among the more popular fishing spots.

The newest introduction to the warm-water game is Sand Hollow, which is producing some large bass.

According to Drew Cushing, warm-water coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Starvation Reservoir is a smallmouth fishery yet to be discovered.

Stinaker and Red Fleet, he added, are offering up some great bluegill fishing.

"So, there are some good choices available to those who want to try warm-water fishing," he added.

The largemouth was, for years, the best known of the warm-water fish. Now it shares the distinction with the smallmouth. It is the largest member of the sunfish family, which includes smallmouth, bluegill and crappie. In addition to being a good meal, the largemouth is also a game fighter when hooked.

The largemouth was introduced to Utah in 1890. In the 1930s it was popular both as a game fish and for commercial purposes. After the 1930s, its popularity started to fall. It bounced back in the early days of Lake Powell when it was not uncommon to catch more than 100 fish in a day. Most of the largemouth in Utah range from 1 to 3 pounds, but it's not uncommon to catch a fish weighing up to 5 or 6 pounds.

Largemouth bass prefer warmer water and relate more to woody cover and thick aquatic plants than smallmouth bass.

Most of Utah's largemouth fisheries are lower to midelevation reservoirs such as Lake Powell, Gunlock, Sand Hollow, Quail Creek, Deer Creek, Mantua, Red Fleet, Steinaker, Hyrum and Pineview. Pond-type fisheries such as Pelican Lake, Cottonwood and Huntington North often are easier to fish, especially for wading anglers, and provide reliable, year-round action.

Attempts to establish the smallmouth in Utah were made between 1912 and 1914. It wasn't until more recently, however, that the fish became recognized by Utah anglers, who were more in tune with fishing for trout.

They like cold, clear water and cannot tolerate water above 80 degrees. They do not require woody cover like the largemouth bass but prefer rocky shorelines, which makes them an ideal fish for so many of Utah's rocky reservoirs like Starvation, Lake Powell and Flaming Gorge. Smallmouth like to stay close to shore, which makes them a good fit for these waters along with trout, which prefer to cruise in open water.