Early winter mornings in the Wasatch mountains are exhilarating. When the icy air burns into your lungs before releasing, suddenly visible; when snow crunches underfoot, soft yet loud in the otherwise eerie stillness—these are phenomena only the truly adventurous discover.
For fishermen, there’s life to be found in the not-quite-frozen waters of the area’s lakes, hidden under thick sheets of ice. All you have to do is be open to the adventure.
Over the past decade, ice fishing has grown in popularity in Utah, explains Jeff Harwin, guide and owner of Utah’s Best Guides.
“I think people are looking for other activities besides skiing and move here from all over. They might have ice fishing back where they’re from,” Harwin says. “And word has gotten out—it’s really good ice fishing around here.”
Ice fishing is unlike any other fishing sport, he continues. For one, it’s best in the dead of winter.
Fishing mornings start before the sun rises, and it’s like camping in reverse. Getting to the lake around 7 am, the snowmobile or a snow dog machine are packed with the essentials: a pop-up tent, portable heater, fishing poles, bait, packed lunches, and warm drinks. Then you navigate out onto a good spot on the ice.
Ice can support human weight when it’s at least four inches thick. Because lakes don’t freeze uniformly, it’s important to check the depth as you travel, especially earlier in the season. Most good ice fishing action happens in water that’s 3 to 20 feet deep, and depending on the fish you’re chasing, gradual slopes or sharp drop-offs may be the best areas for fish.
“Have a basic understanding of what the bottom of the lake you want to fish looks like. Learn the depths at various locations and where the humps, ridges, and changes in substrate are located,” counsels Kent Sorenson, assistant habitat manager with Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. “Pairing that information with the preferences and behaviors of the fish you want to catch can really increase your catch rate.”
While this research can be done in advance with maps and GPS information, the use of sonar devices or “fish finders” can make the day-of-hunt a lot easier.
When going out with guides like Harwin, they’ll have usual spots to start. Once on the ice, they’ll use an auger to drill a hole in the ice and check for fish. If the spot looks good, the more comfortable strategy is to pop open a tent and turn on a heater— although some ice fishers will brave the elements perched on a bucket in front of their fishing holes.
Once inside the tent, Harwin continues, they’ll drill a couple more holes and then start jigging.
“We call it jigging for a trout or a perch, using the fish finder as a tool to see where the fish are and how they’re reacting to the bait,” he says.
A jig is a small lure used to catch fish, designed to mimic the natural prey and invertebrates that cold-water fish eat. Jigs come in various sizes, colors, and materials, either plastic or metal, and can also be used along with bait, Harwin explains.
Mealworms, wax worms, and even grocery-store shrimp can be used as bait depending on the type of fish.
Rockport and Echo Reservoirs in Summit County are best for trout and perch fishing, while Strawberry Reservoir in Wasatch County has kokanee salmon and trout to find. With higher water levels in reservoirs across the Wasatch Back, Harwin warns that the lakes can take longer to freeze, so it’s best to check with experts before heading out to fish.
There are also some state regulations on fishing in local reservoirs and rivers, such as daily limits on fish, which can be found on the Department of Wildlife Resources website at wildlife.utah.gov/fishing.
As a newbie, it’s best to book an experience with an ice fishing guide who will come with all the necessary gear and knowledge to make it a safe and worthwhile adventure, Harwin says. But there’s no question that it’s absolutely worth trying.
“If you’re coming from, say Florida, when’s the next time you’re going to be able to stand on a solid piece of ice, fishing in a hole you drilled? That aspect alone makes it really unique,” he concludes.
Learn more about the ice fishing trips Harwin offers on their website, utahicefishing.com.
