Early and Late: Prime Trout Bites on the Wasatch Front

This is Artificial Lure with your Salt Lake City area fishing report. No tides to worry about on the Wasatch Front, so you can focus on weather and water. Overnight temps stayed in the upper 50s with a cool north breeze; this afternoon is headed for the low 80s under mostly clear skies and low humidity. Sunrise hit around 5:55 a.m., and sunset will be close to 9:00 p.m., giving you a long window for those prime low‑light bites. Mountain reservoirs and cold creeks are the stars right now. The big story is **early and late**: trout are feeding shallow at dawn and again the last hour of light, then dropping deeper as the sun gets high. Up at **Echo and Rockport**, local anglers have been putting good numbers of rainbows in the net, plus a few browns mixed in. Reports from shop counters and dock talk say typical catches run 12–16 inches, with the occasional chunky holdover pushing 18. Trolling small silver or gold spoons and size 5 floating Rapalas in brown trout or rainbow patterns has been consistent. Bank anglers are doing well with chartreuse or garlic PowerBait on a slip rig, and nightcrawlers under a clear bubble. Closer to town, **Jordanelle** is fishing steady. Kayak folks are picking up smallmouth along rocky points in 10–20 feet of water on green pumpkin tube jigs, 3-inch swimbaits in shad colors, and drop-shot rigs with natural-colored worms. A few walleye are showing on bottom bouncers with crawler harnesses at first light, but the bite slows once the sun is overhead and the ski boats fire up. If you’re chasing trout here, think deeper—small dodgers with pink or orange hoochies or wedding rings tipped with a bit of worm are taking fish 25–40 feet down. Urban ponds around Salt Lake—like community fisheries and small park lakes—have recently been stocked with catchable rainbows and a mix of bluegill and catfish. Families soaking bait are seeing quick limits in the mornings. Salmon eggs, smaller pieces of nightcrawler, and PowerBait on light line are the ticket. For panfish, toss tiny jigs or a piece of worm under a bobber tight to reeds and docks. Hot spot number one: **Weber River** between Echo and Henefer. Flows are manageable, water is clear and cool, and wade anglers are finding browns on small nymphs—think pheasant tails and hare’s ears size 16–18—trailing behind a slightly larger attractor. In the evening, be ready with a dry-dropper rig and a small caddis or PMD pattern; the hatch has been bringing fish up right before dark. Hot spot number two: the **middle Provo** below Jordanelle. It’s running a bit pushy in spots but very fishable, and the fish are healthy. Nymphing with sow bugs and midges during the day is still the bread and butter. As the sun drops behind the hill, switch to smaller caddis dries and emergers—trout have been feeding in the softer seams and tailouts. Best overall lures and baits right now: - For trout in still water: small spoons, spinners, and minnow baits in natural patterns; PowerBait in bright colors; nightcrawlers. - For river trout: beadhead nymphs, small caddis and mayfly dries, and lightweight streamers in olive or black. - For bass: green pumpkin tubes, Ned rigs, and small paddletail swimbaits along rock and structure. - For cats: cut bait, shrimp, and stink bait fished on bottom in the evening. Focus your efforts sunrise to a couple hours after, then again the last two hours before dark. Midday can still produce, but you’ll need to go deeper and lighter on your line. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn