The water at Bear Lake is now completely open and boats can be launched at the Utah State Park marina. You may be able to launch on the east side boat ramps at First Point and Rainbow Cove, but there are no courtesy docks in the water at either location, and there could be ice stacked along the shore (depending on wind direction).


The fishing is excellent for cutthroat trout by trolling and jigging. Trolling anglers have found success using just about any type of lure. The jiggers are using 3/4-ounce tube jigs tipped with cisco or sucker meat. Anglers are finding the most success fishing off the rockpile area, but First and Second Point areas are usually good this time of the year, too.


You can also target whitefish in 25 to 40 feet of water off the rockpile and off the weedbeds south of Gus Rich Point down to the rest area. There are weedbeds along the east side off the pump house and between First and Second Points in the same depths. Use smaller Swedish Pimples or Kastmasters tipped with mealworms right on the bottom.


Remember, in order to keep a cutthroat trout from Bear Lake it must have a healed fin clip (usually the adipose fin). If you catch a cutthroat with all of it's fins intact -- even if it's tagged -- you must release it. In order to maintain the fishery, consider releasing large lake trout. In Bear Lake, lake trout can easily live more than 35 years.