Cooler weather should be good for Bear Lake fishing

Fishing for cutthroat trout and lake trout has been slow to fair at Bear Lake, however, with the cooler weather the fishing should begin to pick up again.

During the month of September the lake trout will begin to pre-stage prior to their spawning run and the fish are typically very aggressive. This translates to much better catch rates for anglers. Good spots to try will be off of Cisco Beach, North Eden, South Eden, and off the Rockpile. The Rockpile area is still very busy with jet skiers and other watercraft during the weekends and the best fishing will likely occur during the middle of the week.

Fishermen should try to locate both cutthroat trout and lake trout with their sonar units and either troll slowly with large flatfish or Rapalas through these areas. Fishermen who like to jig instead of troll should target fish along the bottom in areas from 50- to 80-feet deep preferably over bottom with rocks.

In the early mornings, trolling near the surface off the mouths of North and South Eden canyons can also be productive for cutthroat trout, which feed mainly on large grasshoppers that are blown out onto the lake surface from the agriculture fields adjacent to these areas. Try using spoons or Rapalas trolled just under the surface of the water. Depth of the water should not be a factor in where to fish in these areas.

The only boat ramp that has not been de-watered is the Bear Lake State Park marina. The depth of the marina is approximately 5 to 6 feet at this time. The pumping of water from the lake has stopped for this irrigation season, and the only decline in lake elevation from this point on should be from evaporation.

The State Park marina offers a new visitor center, a fish cleaning station, and additional bathrooms/showers. Anglers can also launch small boats from the sandy beach around many parts of the Bear Lake shoreline but should do so at their own risk, since there are many areas with deep, soft sand on the lakeshore.

Rockport — Fishing has been fair to good for perch and trout.

Strawberry — Kokanee are starting to work their way up the tributaries. Some anglers report finding some kokanee near the surface of the reservoir. Boating anglers report that many fish are also submerged between 20 to 50 feet. Shoreline anglers report "spotty" success by using traditional baits such as Power Bait or worms. Best success has been near the Ladders, Strawberry Bay and other areas on the north end of the reservoir. Cooler weather should help fishing success pick up. Tributaries are closed until Oct. 9. easing fish!