Northern Utah Fishing Forecast - Cooler Weather, Hungry Trout & Improving Lake Access

Good morning Salt Lake anglers, this is Artificial Lure bringing you today’s fishing report for Thursday, November 13th, 2025. Let’s kick things off with the **weather:** the valley’s seeing a chilly start in the upper 30s, climbing to near 56 by mid-afternoon, mostly clear with a light breeze. **Sunrise was at 7:12 AM, sunset will be at 5:13 PM**, giving us a solid fall fishing window. No tidal report for Salt Lake City’s freshwater bodies, but Bear River Bay and Utah Lake do see some wind-driven current influencing bite activity. **Fish activity** this week has picked up with the drop in temperatures. Locals report strong trout action at **Jordanelle and East Canyon Reservoirs**, with both rainbow and cutthroat working “close to drop-offs and near inlets.” The trout are hungry before ice-up; some are taking **powerbait and worms** while more are chasing smaller spoons and inline spinners. Recent catches have averaged around 13 to 18 inches, with a few lucky folks netting 20-inch cutthroats. Up at **Strawberry Reservoir**, the cold snap has woken up bigger rainbows, cutthroat, and kokanee. Shore anglers found a reliable bite using jigged tube baits and 1/8-ounce marabou jigs in chartreuse and white. Most reported limits by noon yesterday. Boaters, take note—over $1.5 million is going into ramp and dock improvements across Utah for next season, including the Chicken Creek East and Renegade Ramp on Strawberry. So access will only get better for next year, says the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. For the **bass guys**, Utah Lake State Park remains a late fall hotspot for smallmouth and largemouth. Best numbers are coming on **slow-rolled swimbaits** and purple **soft plastics** fished on drop shots. The Learning Center at Tackle Warehouse suggests “downsizing tackle with colder water, and trying Ned rigs or a finesse TRD worm for lethargic bass.” There’s even been mixed reports of white bass hitting small crankbaits around Provo Bay. Locally, **hot spots** this week: - **Jordanelle Reservoir** shoreline by Rock Cliffs (active trout, some bass) - **East Canyon Reservoir**, near the spillway for consistent rainbow catches - **Strawberry Reservoir Renegade Ramp**, updated docks for easy launching and prime cutthroat schools If you’re heading out, pack **PowerBait, nightcrawlers, and small spoons** for trout, plus **swimbaits, Ned rigs, and jerkbaits** for bass. For fly anglers, olive **woolly buggers** and **nymphs** are tempting trout in the afternoons. Recent angler feedback at Timothy Lakes says kid-friendly fishing is still solid—bring the family, toss out a worm or glitter PowerBait, and expect steady action on pan-sized rainbows. Remember, boaters can look forward to better access in 2026 across the region, per the latest Division of Outdoor Recreation grants. With cooler weather and less traffic, the next few weeks are prime for hitting northern Utah lakes before full ice-up. Thanks for tuning in to Artificial Lure’s morning fish This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.