The Utah portion of Flaming Gorge is ice free at the ramps, but the ramps are likely slick because of the recent storms.


Kokanee: Fishing for kokanee is good, if you can locate a school. Schools are deep, so try jigging with a small jigging spoon.

Rainbow trout:Most anglers report good rainbow trout fishing. Spoons, jigs and crankbaits are working from shore and boats. Some anglers report that there are small schools cruising the shoreline. Fishing is good off rocky points and in the backs of some of the bays.

Lake trout: Anglers report fair to good fishing. Schools, small groups and singles can be anywhere. If you find a group, try holding your position and drop a vertical presentation, such as a jigging spoon (chartreuse) or three-inch tube jig (white). Tip your lure with a small chunk of sucker meat and vary jigging activity until you figure out the behavior pattern. Also, try trolling through (or just above) the school and along the shorelines where the fish are cruising for food. Try different crankbaits or brightly colored spoons. Keep your limit of small, tasty lake trout to reduce competition and to help both the lake trout and kokanee fisheries.

Smallmouth bass: There haven't been any new reports because the bass are still in deep water.

Burbot: Fishing has been from fair to good through the ice, but the ice is deteriorating quickly. Check it carefully before venturing out. Try fishing for a few hours, starting around sunset, along the rocky points, cliffs and the old channels. Burbot will hit during the day (generally in the deeper waters), but they become more active around twilight, when they move into the shallows to forage. If you're on the shore, ice or a boat, fish the bottom -- or just slightly above it -- in depths from 10 to 50 feet. Use just about anything that glows (spoons, tube jigs, curly-tailed jigs, minnows or jigging spoons) and tip your lure with some type of bait. (Cut bait, like sucker meat, is recommended.) Place your lure within inches of the bottom and recharge the glow frequently. It is common to catch a fish immediately after reglowing and dropping a lure. You'll help the Flaming Gorge fishery by harvesting as many burbot as possible. There is no limit on burbot.