# Southern Utah streams



## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

Ok I am curious about how many of you go south to fish during the winter? Have any of you ever fished the small streams around Boulder town or fished places like Clear Creek, Beaver Creek outside of town, Boulder, Deer, or any of the other small creeks, the Fremont... places like that? Thinking about putting together an overnighter (or two) to the areas down there before it gets hot and snakes make their presence known. There is a place around Fillmore I want to hit again too. Thanks for any info you care to share.... 

If anyone has done a round trip on Deer and Boulder creek, spending nights in the canyon when you fish down one and up the other, I'd be really interested in hearing about that. Thanks folks.


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## chuckmiester (Sep 9, 2007)

small streams are not like rivers. most of those streams are too far a drive for me without the lakes open so i haven't ever fished them in the winter. however i have fished streams of that size farther south and they are impossible to fish. the techniques change dramatically, nd the small stream snags make it extremely difficult to fish. rivers like the logan and provo you can nymph and get fish but small streams are a completely different story. 

as far as the snakes in utah go here is my honest opinion: they DON'T want to be near you any more than you want to be near them. if you see one trun around, walk around it, ect, don't start poking it or seeing how close you can get to it before it notices you. also on rattle snakes the rattler is a warning. all the snake is simply saying is get away frmo me i will strike if you come closer, not your a stupid human and i am going to attack you no matter what you do. they know they can't eat us so if they dont feel threatened by us thye will leave us alone. when you get into trouble is when you dont know one is there and you put your hand on it or step on it by accident. not every accident with snakes can be avoided but if you watch out for them you will usually be fine. there is only ONE place i stay away from in the summer due to snakes and it is because lava rock is the terrain. you can't see around it like dirt and it is a favorite hiding spot for snakes. also by backing away from one you run into two more.


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

I don't fly fish Chuckmeister (at least not in the common sense of the term).... so I don't know that it'll make that much difference to me with regard to trying to squeeze a fly into a small pocket.... I fish some pretty tight/narrow spots both in the Uintas and on other small spots up here so I'm sure I'd find a way to make something work. I fished Chalk Creek once and did ok with smaller spinners (those little fish are sure pretty) and that actually was going to be my plan of attack down there as well. I wouldn't be able to fish my plastics on the really small waters so that method was out but I was sure hoping some of the others would be doable before it got too blazing hot to chase me off. Maybe on the Fremont, or Clear Creek, but the others I planned on having to really downsize to be effective. Corn Creek is one of the spots I was worried about rattlers but it was snow on the ground conditions there when I went so it wasn't a big deal. The Fremont is the other one I've heard about rattler encounters on but I agree with you, they don't want to see me any more than I want to reach out and touch them so as long as I keep my distance, it should be workable for both species. 8)


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

It's **** cold around Boulder in the winter.


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

Is that pretty much high desert mountain country?? Haven't been in forever, but would like to go see the country again someday.


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## wyoming2utah (Sep 12, 2007)

I live in Southern Utah and fish the streams you mention quite a bit...however, during the winter, some of them are frozen.


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

wyoming2utah said:


> I live in Southern Utah and fish the streams you mention quite a bit...however, during the winter, some of them are frozen.


I got some advice saying to get ahold of you or PBH about it.... so if its ok, I might PM you and see if I can't pick your brain a little for advice on some of the streams I'm thinking about visiting. Is it really that cold?? Man, I was hoping to break out of the cabin fever by heading down there for a day or two.... Hmmm. Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.


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## Flyfish4thrills (Jan 2, 2008)

Check out this info by the DWR/ Dale Hepworth on Southern Utah Wild Trout Streams: http://www.wildlife.utah.gov/fishing/so ... reams.html


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## chuckmiester (Sep 9, 2007)

RR77 i only mentioned flies because that is all i have found that work (nymphs) during the winter on the streams i fished. i have only fly fished for a little over a season so i have tried my share of worm dunking, powerbait sinking, lure chucking, pretty much everything. but during the winter the streams you mentioned that i have fished in the winter are pretty darn tough. so tough i put away my rod and wait until ice off.


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## ScottyP (Sep 12, 2007)

Riverratt, I gather that you think the more southern latitudes will have milder temps than northern Utah but that is not really the case. Cedar City just 50 miles from St. George has just as cold average temps as provo or SLC and most of the streams you mentioned are in higher elevation (colder) locations than Cedar. It is not until you drop down to dixie or moab that the temps are milder but then your trout options are limited. You might try the beaver below minersville, the seveir below paiute, or the Fremont to get into some tailwater fishing, but the small streams will have anchor ice and the fish will be inactive and deep in the pools intercepting the occaisional midge larva or nymph floating by their nose. My advise is that you go fish the Green River if you want to travel to a winter fishing spot with cooperative fish. I believe you said you have never fished it yet? I fished it in february last year and it was great! Even slept in a tent.


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## 2fishon (Jan 13, 2008)

I live in the Fillmore area. Your problem fishing Corn Creek and Chalk Creek is going to be access. There is alot of snow and lots of ice along the creeks. Clear Creek isn't as bad, but not as good fishing either. The temperatures are definitely not milder than the Wasatch front. The good news- you'll pretty much have any of these streams to yourself.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

You might even try the Sevier River around Otter Creek. We fished there in November a few years ago, and it was pretty dang productive for good size browns. From what I understand a lot of that part of the river can be hard to access due to private property, but I'd say its worth a shot. If all else fails try Otter Creek!


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

Hey thanks for all the advice fellas. Yeah, ScottyP, that was kinda the mindset I was in... but from talking to a guy who's been down there a lot, I got that same response from him... May is better than February. Oh well... there are a few places closer that I can hit until then. About the Green... no, I've never fished and I'm seriously entertaining the idea of a trip before the "tube hatch". It would be a dream trip for sure and I'd like to hit the lower sections... hopefully less people but I don't have any idea where I'm going when I get there. Maybe my first trip will have to be with somebody else until I know my way around. 2Fishon... what you describe is what I found when I was in the area before... lots of solitude and snow. It was fun anyway.... COAB, thanks for the advice on the streams down by Otter Creek. I'll have to check these places out sooner or later and if I have to do a summer trip and chance the snake encounter... well, guess thats just part of the game.  I used to be a small stream guy, got away from it with bass fishing and am starting to rediscover some of the simple pleasures of river fishing... I got into bass, catfish and hunting and haven't done as much stream fishing as I used to so I'm just trying to get back into that a bit more. Thanks again guys for the input, info, and advice.


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## BRN (Sep 18, 2007)

ScottyP said:


> You might try the beaver below minersville, the seveir below paiute, or the Fremont to get into some tailwater fishing,


Both the Beaver below Minersville and the Sevier below Piute are frozen over. So are the Beaver in Beaver Canyon and the E Fk Sevier in Kingston Canyon. 
River Rat, your best chance for fishing a stream down south this time of year would be Clear Creek, E Fk Sevier in Black Canyon, Upper Sevier/Asay Creek/Mammoth Creek, or the Fremont (there may be some ice in the Bicknell Bottoms). My suggestion would be: make the trip, but plan it around ice fishing and be opportunistic with the streams. There is some great ice fishing down south (Otter Creek, Piute, Fish Lake, Panguitch, Minersville) and it is well worth the trip.


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## pezvela (Nov 3, 2007)

Some of the finest tailwater fishing in the country is going on at Lee's Ferry. Now is the time for big rainbows on the Colorado river below Page, AZ at Lee's Ferry. It is the equalivent of the green below the dam on Flaming Gorge. Maybe not quite as good as the Green below the dam year around, but for the present (Jan & Feb) its arguably might be better as the rainbows are in the shallows spawning and the green is good, but not like it will be later.

Page, AZ is the jumping off spot. While you are there you can fish Wahweap for stripers, LMB, SMB, Crappie right from the marina. Lake Powell is slow right now, but you can still catch fish. If you don't have a boat, the fishing pier on the marina is the place to be. From the marina at Wahweap to Page is only 6 or 7 miles. The UDWR website has links to Lake Powell and there is a wealth of fishing information from these links.

I was there last week checking things out and getting away from the cold and snow. I didn't take my boat and I regreted that from the minute I pulled out of the drive way. I caved in to my wife who was whining about never going anywhere without the boat. I told her we would just travel for a week and I didn't tell her this was going to be a scouting mission. Next month I'll go back for a week of fishing and she can stay home.

With the price of diesel for the truck and gas for the boat I have to watch what I'm spending so that I can maximize the fishing. I like Page as there is some cheap lodging. This last trip I stayed at Bashful Bob's motel. $30.00 a night. Two bedrooms w/queensize bed, living room with 32" TV, radio, kitchenette with everything needed to cook and cool of the mixers. Clean, but old. Good enough for this old fisherman. I'd rather spend my money on fuel or whiskey than a $130.00 a night motel that I'm only going to sleep and shower in. Please note: Bob does not take credit cards. Checks and cash only. Lots of fancy sleeping facilities in Page as well. 

There are several good restaurants in town. Fiest Mexicana is our favorite. Fantastic mexican food with great service and knock out margarittas and cervesa frio. Very affordable, especially with the money you save by staying at Bashfuls.

Lee's Ferry is roughly a 35 to 40 mile drive from Page. Anyone in town can give you directions. If you have a boat take it and launch at Lee's Ferry and travel upstream to the tailwaters. It's about 13 miles of great fishery from there to the dam. All of it good fishing. Just tie off on a sand bar and start casting. It's a truly beautiful stretch of river. You can walk the shoreline and fish and you can expect to catch rainbow if you're any kind of angler. There are also guides that will take you upriver and put you on excellent fish. Fish all day in the sunshine then back to Page for ****tails. Absolute spectacular scenery. Artificial only, I think, but maybe bait....ummmmmm. Probably not, this is a blue ribbon fishery, but artificials for sure.

I hope I have given you some insight for a quick get away out of this dam cold. Get a couple of guys to go with you and you can make this trip very affordable by sharing the expenses. There are several streams you can fish on your way down or back regardless of which way you go. Let me know if I can provide you with more information and good luck on your trip where ever you go. Keep the wind to your back and your line tight


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

Hey thanks Pez. I saw the Roughin It Outdoors segment on Lees Ferry. Looks incredible and if you could wade up a ways or like you said, take a boat, park it and wade... it could be a blast I'm sure. That along with wild rainbows...man, thats just my favorite. I sure thought hard about scraping together the money for a trip down there. How long is it fishable like that? Does it fish well all year or just during the cold weather months? I really want it to warm up so I can do some night fishing on these rivers (Green, Provo, the Fork, and some other smaller spots) as well. About Lees Ferry....can you just wade or hike upriver?? Or is it a boat access situation most of the way? How is the walking access around Wahweap? Is it a situation you could camp out or stay at Bobs and take your tube/toon to Powell to fish out of?


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## pezvela (Nov 3, 2007)

Lots of questions for a confused old mind like mine. I'll give 'er a try.

You can walk along a trail and fish alot of the water near Lee's Ferry as well as upstream. I do not believe you can go any where near the dam by foot. Because it is a tail water below the dam, it is influenced by water released by the BLM. In the past some of the releases have been heavy and created a danger due to rising water, but I'm sure everyone was notified. Several website can advise you of water releases projected for weeks, even months ahead. Fishing reports are available daily by doing a google search typing in "fishing report Lee's Ferry, AZ"

The fishery is great year around and because the water that is released is drawn from deep water in front of the dam it is not influenced by warm waters of summer. It can be over 110 degrees in the canyon during August and the river runs cold and clear. Jan and Feb are excellent fishing as the rainbow travel upstream to the gravel bars and shallows. More fish in the shallows equal better fishing. Aditionally even as good as the fishing is now, it won't be combat fishing. Most anglers are there in the summer because that is when it's vacation time.

Wahweap marina is the Southern extreme end of lake powell. It is the most popular marina on the lake primarily due to its proximity to Page, AZ and all of the lodging, food and service there. Much more available at Page than Bullfrog or anywhere else on the lake.
A fishing pier was built on the marina to provide a place for shorebound anglers. It generally provides good fishing for stripers, especially at night. Chum with a fistfull of anchovy pieces then hang on! While the fishing pier isn't the only place to fish at Wahweap or this end of the lake it is the most popular. I have seen fishermen on the shoreline and in tubes all around this part of the lake. Some of them had to take Gawd awful hikes to get where I saw them, but they were there. I'm sure someone in the National Park Service or the local tackle store could point you in the right direction. Also you can rent boats at Wahweap, but they are not rigged to fish, You can tent camp in one of many campgrounds that are within the boundries of Lake Powell Recreational Area or commercial ones in Page or anywhere that it is suitable on the shores of the lake. There are restrictions as to where you can camp along the shoreline and what you must have, Portapotty, etc. You can research that as well by searching "Camping Lake Powell".

It's one of the crown jewels of Utah and Arizona. I am constantly amazed at the fishermen whom I talk to that have never been to Powell. It is an extraordinary place and everyone should fish it at least once with a few days devoted to the trip so that you can experience this truly beautiful water.

I'm planning onn going for a week in Feb. My boat is a 24' Boston whaler center console w/twin 150 Yamaha's. I can fish 4 with plenty of room trolling and a half dozen or more still fishing or jigging. She is rigged to fish. If you don't mind a cranky ole buzzard I might consider taking a fisherman or two. Send me a text if you're interested. The dates are open in Feb depending on the weather prognosticators. I quit smoking after 40 years so I'm ornery as hell right now, but that should be over by mid-Feb. Hope this answers your questions, If not I'll pour myself a drink and try again. Keep the wind to your back. Tight lines


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## orvis1 (Sep 7, 2007)

That lees ferry report looked tasty as well as the roughin it outdoors piece on the river. I wonder if they would let you take a jet ski up the river? I think they would be much, much, cheaper to rent this time of year than a jetdrive boat. I just don't think my little 6hp is going to get me up river!


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