Idaho Fish Report

Big Sand Wash Reservoir is generally 100% full by May. Water temperatures stay cold for much of the spring as water continues to come in from the Lake Fork drainage in the High Uintas. Access: Anglers can access the reservoir by boat at the main ramp and by small watercraft at the sportsman’s access. The DWR installs the wedge dock each spring and will move it up or down the ramp two or three times per week as water levels fluctuate. The wedge dock will not be put in until mid-to-late March, and water level fluctuations require a tech to move the ramp often. We will get it in as soon as we have staff to properly maintain it. Please do not attempt to move this dock on your own as it has a brake system and you will destroy it, leading to its removal while repairs are made. Utah Boating Access Grant Program funds paid for the new pavement on the parking lot. Trout: The spring fishing forecast is generally good for rainbow trout. This is a great time of year to cast jigs near the inlet area for larger rainbows and browns. Bass, perch and walleye: Both yellow perch and walleye spawn in the spring and once the spawn is over (mid-April) walleye will begin to feed heavily on smaller fish. Smallmouth bass fishing really begins to pick up as water temperatures warm up. Generally, smallmouth spawn in late May and early June. We have great numbers of quality smallmouth bass in this fishery. They can be targeted throughout the year using traditional techniques (jigs, crank baits and even topwater lures). Remember, the current limit for walleye at Big Sand Wash is 20 fish with no size restriction. The limit for yellow perch is 10 fish. (March 7, 2026)