The ice will begin melting off the lakes at Six Lakes Resort and Fishing Preserve in just a couple weeks. It is exciting to think about early spring fishing after a long winter. In a short two weeks the afternoons will be warm enough to start melting the ice off the lakes and by about March 10 there will be some open water to fish at Six Lakes. In this blog we will discuss the best techniques and flies for fishing Utah lakes in early spring.

March is an exciting time to fish at Six Lakes Fishing Preserve. Many of the Utah lakes are still frozen over and it is one of the first opportunities for fly fishermen to get out and fish open water and enjoy the mild afternoons. The water is still cold and as cold-blooded animals the fish are lethargic due to the frigid water. The trout are also largely swimming near the bottom of the lake where the water is a little warmer and there is food on the bottom of the lake to eat. These are the most important things to keep in mind while fishing Utah lakes in March.

Fishing on Utah lakes in March is a great time to be out fishing, but fishermen need to remember that using a slow and low technique is necessary to be successful during this time period. Fly fishermen can use either a full sink line or weights to get flies down near the bottom of the lake where trout are feeding during this early spring season. After casting flies along drop offs or the edge of weed beds fishermen should wait until the fly has sunk to the bottom of the lake and slowly retrieve the fly along the bottom one finger length at a time. A second technique that is very effective during the early spring in shallow areas of the lake is using a strike indicator with a long leader. Using a strike indicator and dropping a fly about the distance to the bottom of the lake is a great way to fish in March and early April. You can adjust the length of the leader as you move to different areas of the lake and is an effective method up to 12 feet in depth.

Woolly buggers, leeches, and blood worms are very effective flies during the early spring fishing season in Utah. Whether you are fishing with a sinking line or with weights these are great flies to cast and let sink to the bottom of the lake and slowly retrieve in deeper sections of the lakes. Balanced leeches, zebra midges, and blood midges are great patterns to use in early spring in shallower sections of the lakes. These flies can be dropped off a strike indicator and cast along weed beds and shallow shelves.

Early spring fishing in Utah is just around the corner. We hope to see you at Six Lakes Fishing Preserve this March for some fishing!