SLC Friday Fishing Forecast - Mild Autumn, Tough Bite, But Plenty of Options

Artificial Lure reporting in from in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, with your Friday fishing lowdown for October 24, 2025. Today’s sunrise was at 7:08 AM and sunset rolls in at 7:54 PM. You’ve got 12 hours and 46 minutes of daylight to fish, but the solunar calendars and Farmers’ Almanac warn that fish activity is expected to be “poor” this evening, so get out early for your best chances. Major bite times are pegged at 4:09–6:09 AM and again from 4:40–6:40 PM, while minor times hit around 9:05–10:05 AM. The moon is in a 25% waxing crescent, not ideal but doable for determined anglers. Weather-wise, we woke up to a mild autumn morning, with clear skies expected through most of the day. Highs are forecasted in the upper 60s to low 70s, with steady conditions and light breezes—great for casting, but you'll want layers in case the breeze picks up off the canyons. No tides for Salt Lake City, but water levels matter. Deer Creek Reservoir remains about 67% full, surface temps are hanging between 68 and 70 degrees, and all launch ramps are open. Utah Lake is accessible with daily decontamination station hours for you boaters, and the harmful algae warning remains active, so avoid shoreline algae mats. Fellow anglers have seen solid action lately across the region. In the mountain creeks and reservoirs around SLC, browns are on the move and hitting as they finish up spawning. Huntington Creek is delivering wild brown trout with some rainbow and brookies mixed in; anglers working nymph rigs and smaller streamers are connecting. The wipers at Willard Bay have slowed with cooler temps, but persistent folks have snatched a few on chartreuse swimbaits and live minnow rigs. Last week, locals reported clusters of stocked rainbows coming to shore at East Canyon Reservoir—powerbait, salmon eggs, and gold spoons have yielded the best results. A buddy up at Deer Creek landed four chunky smallmouth and two healthy rainbows on 3” tube jigs and silver Kastmasters just yesterday. Utah Lake is coughing up channel cats, mostly on cut bait and stink bait near the Provo River inlet. Best bait and lure options today: - For trout: Go with gold Kastmasters, small rainbow spinners, or drift tan and olive woolly buggers through riffle areas. PowerBait and salmon eggs work for shoreline action. - For bass and wipers: Toss chartreuse swimbaits, white or silver spinnerbaits, and tube jigs. Crawdad pattern plastics also doing work around rocky drop-offs. - For catfish: Nightcrawlers, chicken liver, or cut carp do the trick. Some folks sware by range cubes for pre-baiting spots—a tip worth trying if you’re able. Hot spots to target: - Deer Creek Reservoir: Main ramp for smallmouth (rock piles), Rainbow Bay shoreline for trout. - Upper Huntington Creek: Pull-offs near the bridge; look for deep pools and undercut banks for browns. - Utah Lake: Provo River inlet for catfish and white bass. Conservation tip: Trout Unlimited recommends using barbless hooks on local streams This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.