Fishing mixed in cooler weather

With colder weather moving into the state, fishing has been mostly mixed recently, with anglers doing a bit better in the state's southern areas as opposed to the mountains, which have already received some snow. Here are the reports compiled by the Division of Wildlife Resources from various areas around the state:

FLAMING GORGE RESERVOIR: All reservoir ramps are open. Lake trout action is fair to good at Squaw Hollow, Anvil Draw, Linwood Bay, Antelope, Stateline, Rawlins Draw, Sheep Creek, Gold Point, Jarvies and Mustang at 70-to-120-foot depths over points and along the river channel. Linwood Bay is closed between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. through Dec. 15. Techniques include trolling bottom structure using down-riggers or steel line with a flatfish, crank bait or a flasher trailing a squid or small lure; or vertical jigging using tube or bucktail jigs with or without a minnow or sucker meat. There are many small- and medium-size lake trout in Flaming Gorge; limit is six lake trout (one over 28 inches.) Rainbow trout have moved back into shallower water.

GREEN RIVER (upper): Flows are averaging 1400 cfs with one daily fluctuation possible between 870 and 1770 cfs as allowed for recovery of threatened and endangered downstream fish. The flows typically increase between 7 and 11 a.m. and drop after 10 p.m. Large terrestrial patterns including hoppers, beetles and ants have been effective dry fly patterns, with occasional midge, mayfly and caddis hatches adding to the action, particularly on the downstream river reaches. For stream fishing, try brown, tan or olive wooly buggers, size 2-6, and light-colored minnow imitations.

GREEN RIVER (lower): River has good flows for this time of year. State and local officials issued a fish consumption advisory on Nov. 10 for Desolation Canyon where elevated mercury levels have been found in channel catfish. Advisory signs are posted at access points to the canyon advising adults to limit their consumption of channel catfish to no more than two 8-ounce servings per month and advising women and children not to eat more than one 4-ounce serving per month.

Eating more than these amounts over a long period could result in an intake of mercury that exceeds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency health recommendations. There is no health risk to other recreationists, including those swimming, boating and waterskiing. Additional sampling of the Green River above and below Desolation Canyon will be conducted in 2006.