Utah anglers can keep more trout at Scofield Reservoir next year

Anglers at Scofield Reservoir will be able to catch and keep eight trout a day beginning Jan. 1.

They will also be able to fish with two poles if they purchase a Two Pole Permit at any fishing spot within Utah. Currently, only select waters allow use of a second pole. Anglers who fish with two poles may not take two limits.

Fishermen will also be able to:

— Keep 10 walleye at all of the waters in Utah that have walleye except Willard Bay, where the limit will remain at six walleye. Only one of the walleyes caught at any of the waters can be longer than 24 inches.

— Keep four trout of any species at Panguitch Lake and its tributaries, but the trout must be under 15 inches or over 22 inches in length. Anglers must release all trout 15 to 22 inches long.

— May use artificial flies and lures only at Calder Reservoir and may keep only one fish. The fish they keep must be over 22 inches long.

A drop in the number of people fishing at Scofield prompted the Division of Wildlife Resources to recommend raising the trout limit.

"Scofield is one of the best trout fishing waters in Utah, but the number of anglers who fish it has dropped off dramatically during the past 20 years," said Roger Wilson, sport fisheries coordinator for the DWR.

Wilson said in 1986, anglers spent almost 347,000 hours fishing at Scofield. The number dropped to just under 115,000 hours in 2005, a drop of 67 percent.

The drop in angler hours has also led to a drop in the number of fish caught at the reservoir. In 1986, anglers caught more than 252,000 trout. By 2005, that number had fallen to less than 36,000.

"Scofield is a fantastic trout fishing water, and anglers are missing out on some great fishing," Wilson said. "We hope raising the trout limit will bring the anglers back."

Wilson said biologists will try the eight-trout limit as an experiment.

"Our biologists will continue to watch the trout population closely to make sure the eight-trout limit is not having a negative effect on the population," he said. "We'll also survey anglers to learn if the eight-trout limit is one of the reasons they decided to fish at the reservoir."