October Fishing in Salt Lake City: Trout, Catfish, and Bass on the Move

Artificial Lure here with your October 15th fishing report for Salt Lake City and the surrounding waters. Let’s start with the current weather: Daybreak brought a chilly 43 degrees, and we’re set for a mild climb to the upper 50s by late afternoon. The skies are mostly clear, but with the turning season, expect a sharper breeze, especially up in the canyons. Sunrise was around 7:37 AM today and sunset will slip in at 6:50 PM, so we’re working with a little over eleven good hours of daylight. No tides to worry about—these are mountain-fed creeks and reservoirs out here, but flows are down and clear, typical for mid-October. According to Snoflo, our statewide snowpack is just 61% of normal and flows are low after a weak water year. Big Cottonwood Creek is still fishing decent this week. While the volume is low after a dry summer, don’t let that fool you—trout are active in the early mornings and again just before sunset. Locals are reporting wild browns in the 10-15 inch range rising to midges and small blue-winged olives; size 20-22 is the ticket. The real savvy anglers are drop-shotting a zebra midge beneath a dry fly, and that’s been fooling the more selective fish along slower runs. The Utah DWR’s stocking report from earlier this month confirms catchable rainbow trout have been seeded into Mill Creek and the lower reaches of the Jordan itself. Utah Lake, out west, continues with moderate success on channel catfish and white bass. Most folks bait up with cut bait or nightcrawlers, but those tossing chartreuse curly-tail grubs or small gold spoons near the Lincoln Beach dikes have found white bass schooled tight, especially on overcast days. Catfish are in deeper water, hitting best from late afternoon and into the night. Remember, Utah Lake water levels are low, so waders and a little caution will take you far. Jordanelle Reservoir is another hotspot to keep an eye on. Kokanee salmon are mostly done running, but shore anglers have been picking up rainbows using silver Kastmasters early in the day. Trolling deep-diving Rapalas in shad patterns has produced some healthy smallmouth bass near Rock Cliff and the dam. For trout in the high country, look toward Little Dell Reservoir or even further up to Silver Lake. Both are clear and cool, and float tube anglers are seeing good action on olive woolly buggers stripped slow. Light fluorocarbon leaders make all the difference in this clear fall water. Best lures and bait for the week: - Small nymphs and emergers (zebra midge, pheasant tail, blue-winged olive) for the creeks. - PowerBait (garlic or salmon egg) and nightcrawlers for stocked ponds. - Silver and gold spoons, small soft plastics for white bass at Utah Lake. - Cut bait for catfish, especially as dusk falls. Hot spots this week: - **Big Cottonwood Creek** below the “S” bends—low water, but solid browns if you’re stealthy. - **Lincoln Beach dikes on Utah Lake** for white bass during the mid-morning bite. - **Rock Cliff area at Jordanell This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.