Idaho Fish Report

When water temperatures cool down, trout begin to head to shallower waters in the reservoir while warmwater fish, such as smallmouth bass and yellow perch, head deeper. 

Rainbow trout: For shore anglers, try fishing trout dough bait or a worm off the bottom in shallow water. Boat anglers can do well trolling crankbaits, or a pop gear and a worm or a squid-and-dodger combination, at depths from right under the surface down to 40 feet. 

Smallmouth bass: Smallmouth bass mostly forage on crayfish and yellow perch. Try casting spinner baits, tube jigs, twister tail grubs and crankbaits perpendicular to shore. Smallmouth bass can also be caught by fishing a jig (tipped with worm) a couple feet under a bobber in rocky areas or areas with submerged brush. 

Yellow perch: Fish a worm, either on the bottom or under a bobber, along sandy shorelines or transition zones (e.g., cobble changing to mud or sand). For boat anglers, try looking for schools in water between 6 and 30 feet deep. When you find a school of fish, try vertical jigging with a jig or spoon tipped with worm. 

Kokanee salmon: From Sept. 10 through Nov. 30, you may not possess kokanee salmon at any waterbody in Utah. (This closure is in place to protect the kokanee while they are spawning.) If you catch a kokanee during that time frame, you should release it immediately. Kokanee salmon can be found in deeper water and are most accessible to those fishing from a boat. Try fishing a squid-and-dodger combination tipped with corn or a scented artificial maggot or worm. Fish can usually be found in open water at depths between 12 and 40 feet. Adult fish will likely be spawning in tributaries in the fall, so kokanee caught in the fall will likely be smaller fish that are not yet ready to spawn.