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SALT LAKE CITY — Wildlife biologists are recommending a few changes for the 2019-2020 fishing season in Utah and would like public input.
One of the proposed changes seeks to expand the use of corn as bait at all bodies of water in Utah, according to a Utah Division of Wildlife Resources news release. Since January 2017, anglers have been able to use corn at eight waters throughout Utah and due to the positive feedback, wildlife biologists are now recommending expanding that to all of Utah’s waters.
Wildlife conservation officers said they have “kept a close eye on the amount of litter those fishing with corn have left behind” and that they haven’t seen an impact, the news release said.
If approved, the change would take effect Jan. 1.
Another proposed change would allow a two-day possession limit at Flaming Gorge and Strawberry reservoirs to allow anglers to keep more fish and spend more than one day fishing before going home, wildlife officials said. Currently, you may not have more than one daily limit in your possession while fishing at either body of water.
“With the exception of Flaming Gorge and Strawberry, two-day possession limits are allowed at all of the fishing waters in Utah,” DWR sport fisheries coordinator Randy Oplinger said in the news release. “We haven’t seen any biological impact on the waters where a two-day possession limit is allowed. We’d like to give anglers who fish Flaming Gorge and Strawberry the same chance those who fish other waters have.”
Biologists are also recommending that the daily lake trout limit at Flaming Gorge be increased to 12 lake trout, only one of which can be over 28 inches long. Currently, anglers are allowed to keep only eight lake trout caught at Flaming Gorge.
The last recommended change would reduce the daily limit from eight catfish to four catfish at the Cutler Reservoir and its tributaries. Biologists said the decreased daily limit would allow more catfish to grow bigger and help make Cutler Reservoir become “the place in Utah to catch big channel catfish.”
Residents can share their feedback about the proposals with their Regional Advisory Council member by emailing them or by attending one of the upcoming meetings.
Editor's note: The content of this article was taken from a press release sent out by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. This is not information gathered by KSL.com reporters.
