Salt Lake City Fishing Report: Chilly Autumn Bites, Trout Hot Spots, and Catfish on the Jordan

Artificial Lure here with your Salt Lake City area fishing report for Sunday, November 9, 2025. It’s a brisk start this morning around the Wasatch Front. According to CapeWeather’s Utah Doppler, we’re getting a chilly autumn weather setup with early morning temps near freezing and highs expected to reach the mid-40s today. Skies are mostly clear and winds light, so bundle up but expect stable conditions. Sunrise was at 7:09 AM and sunset will hit at 5:09 PM, giving us roughly ten hours on the water—just enough for a productive day. As for the fishing itself, Farmers' Almanac rates this evening as one of the best for casting a line, so if you’re out after work, you’ll be hitting the prime bite. Mornings are fair right now, but it's the late afternoon where fish activity ramps up. Remember, November means cooler water temps, so the fish—especially trout—are more active during these short feeding windows. Recently, local anglers have reported strong rainbow trout catches at hot spots like Little Dell Reservoir, East Canyon Reservoir, and nearby Jordanelle. Cutthroat and brown trout are mixed in but were a bit slower this week. Anglers at the Jordan River have landed several decent-sized channel catfish and carp, with numbers lower as waters cool but quality holding steady. Don’t forget about Strawberry Reservoir up the canyon; late fall browns are cruising shallow and showing aggression. Reports from Utah Division of Wildlife suggest conservation efforts—including installation of artificial habitats—are paying off with improved structure and increased fish sightings in urban reservoirs and ponds. You might see some newer brush piles or log structures placed near the banks—great spots for casting and testing your luck. If you’re heading out today, your best bet for trout is a combination of natural baits like nightcrawlers and salmon eggs, but don’t overlook artificial lures. Locals swear by Rapala jerkbaits in silver or firetiger, and smaller Panther Martin spinners for stocked rainbows. For brown trout, toss gold Kastmasters or switch to a dark tube jig fished slow along the bottom. Fly anglers are matching midges and blue-wing olives, which are still hatching in good numbers. Catfish bite has been best with chicken liver or stink baits set deep just before sundown. Carp are feeding mid-afternoon on dough balls and corn, especially if you chum the area a little. For those chasing bass, the season’s winding down, but a few largemouths are still willing to chase suspending jerkbaits or a slow-rolled spinnerbait near submerged brush in the lower elevation ponds. Wipers are occasionally busting shad at Willard Bay, though action’s sporadic. Two hot spots I’d hit today: - **Jordanelle Reservoir:** Focus on the inlet arms and submerged timber. Trout are pushing shallow, and the morning bite is still steady on spinners and worms. - **Jordan River (near 1700 South):** Best for catfish and carp, especially in the deeper holes as the day warms up. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.