FLAMING GORGE RESERVOIR — The Gorge is a favorite spot for many Utah anglers. Its kokanee salmon population draws fishermen from across the country, and the rainbow trout and smallmouth bass fishing isn't half-bad, either.

The Gorge also boasts the biggest fish ever caught in Utah, per the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR). Curt Bilbey reeled in a 45-inch, 51-pound lake trout back in 1988.

Plenty of big lake trout have been caught since then — and rumor has some anglers catch-and-release the new state record fish every year — but over the past decade, the lake trout population has boomed in the reservoir.

This population increase has resulted in a few things: more "pup" lake trout, (a pup is a younger lake trout, generally 25-inches or shorter), fewer massive fish that tip scales at 40 or more pounds, and smaller numbers of other sport fish like kokanee salmon and rainbow trout.

"In Flaming Gorge, lake trout greater than 25 inches primarily feed on kokanee and rainbow trout," wrote Ryan Mosley, project manager for the UDWR at Flaming Gorge. "Surveys conducted in the early 2000s showed lake trout abundance rapidly increasing, while kokanee salmon and rainbow trout … were on a declining trend."

In an effort to reduce the number of pup lake trout in the Gorge, and increase the amount of trophy-sized fish the lake's known for, the UDWR wants anglers to catch and keep as many lake trout as possible.

"By thinning the smaller lake trout, anglers are promoting healthy populations of kokanee salmon, rainbow trout and of course trophy lake trout," Mosley wrote.

Thinning the herd of lake trout isn't as hard as you'd think. These tips will help you put these feisty, delicious fish on your dinner table without much work.

Look along channels

Flaming Gorge Reservoir is a 91-mile long impoundment of the Green River. Tributaries of the Green feed into the reservoir, and it's along these channels that you can easily find big numbers of lake trout.

Fishing near Buckboard Marina up to the confluence with the Black's Fork River is a great spot, as is the area around Sheep Creek Bay.

Fish deep

Lake trout are known for being deep-dwelling trout with voracious appetites. If you don't get down between 50-100 feet of water, you'll have a hard time catching anything other than rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, or burbot.

Use the right lures

If you don't want to use bait, then you'll want the right lures for catching pup lake trout. Big tube jigs are a great option, as are curly-tailed jigs and spoons. Jigging spoons is a very productive method for catching pup lake trout.

Ice fish

If you've never ice fished before, the Gorge is as great a place as any to learn. It's easy to get your bait down to the right depth, and you can vertically jig all day long. This gives the lake trout the right presentation without you getting in a boat and jetting across the water.

Find structure

Lake trout hang out around structure in the water when they're not actively hunting. Structure includes any big "humps" in the lakebed, or exceptionally deep pools, and cliffs that stretch deep into the lake.

Lake trout aren't the easiest fish to catch, but they're the biggest fish in Utah. Hooking into one from the ice or the shore is an experience you'll never forget.

Have you had success fishing for lake trout at Flaming Gorge? Let us know in the comments.

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