Bear Lake cutthroat

Those of us living in northern Utah have the incredible privilege of living close to one of the best cutthroat trout fisheries in the west: Strawberry Reservoir. Just over an hour drive from my house in the growing metropolis of Salt Lake County, Strawberry Reservoir provides consistent fishing for cutthroat and rainbow trout, and an elite stillwater fishing experience not usually found so close to a major population center. While I have some mild qualms with how it's managed (it could produce gobs of trophy fish, but is instead managed in a way that churns out ridiculous numbers of medium-sized 16-21” cutties), I feel fortunate to live in such proximity to a great stillwater fishery. Strawberry Reservoir is famous for its “ice-off” season during late April and early May. While it’s possible to catch lightning in a bottle during that season and experience some truly ludicrous days, I find that the fall season provides more consistent fishing. What follows are some tips and techniques for fishing the special fall season at Strawberry Reservoir. Late Summer/Early Fall (mid August through late September) Under the right conditions, the fall season at Strawberry kicks off in mid to late August. During this time of year, I target mornings during monsoonal cycles. Calm, cloudy mornings bring out clouds of callibaetis and chironomids, which will get fish rising in the bays. Using small dries to target individual fish as they rise is a great way to catch cutthroats on this lake. However, the genetics of the cutthroats in Strawberry provide for more unusual opportunities. For decades, the lake struggled with an overabundance of non-game fish. In particular, the troublesome Utah Chub proliferated and overran all other fish populations. In response, biologists made the rare decision to stock a non-native (for that drainage) cutthroat strain into the lake; the Bear Lake Cutthroat. These piscivorous cutthroats keep the chubs in check, and now play a key role in the maintenance of a healthy trout fishery. For anglers, the carnivorous nature of the Bear Lake strain provides another major opportunity. I actually prefer to use a mouse pattern while targeting fish that are sipping callibaetis and chironomids. The cutties in Strawberry often go nuts for mice, fully turning their attention from insects to the small mammals as they struggle across the surface. I frequently watch the fish chase my fly for 50 feet across the surface of the lake, while gulping and failing to eat my mouse imitation a half dozen times or more. Daytime mousing is one of the most exhilarating ways to catch a trout, and Strawberry Reservoir provides a premier venue for this approach! With mice, I target the moody monsoonal mornings of late August and early September. I tuck my rod under my armpit and use a two-handed, intermittent retrieve. It takes a little practice to become facile with this technique, particularly on the hook set when a small pause is necessary to allow the trout to drown the mouse before hitting them with the strip set. I’ve found this approach is by far the most effective way to target fish on the lake with a mouse. Cloud cover seems essential for the mouse bite at Strawberry, and mousing also seems to shut down when the lake gets whipped into a frenzy by the inevitable afternoon winds seen nearly every afternoon in the foothills of the Uinta Mountains. When the wind stirs the lake, or when the sun comes out, I have more success with hoppers and ants. Mid-Fall (late September through mid October) For me, mid-fall is prime time for terrestrial fishing on the lake. Mousing still works, but becomes less consistent as the monsoon shuts down, resulting in more sunny days. Cooler water temperatures bring more fish to the shallows, and within range of the fly angler. During this time, I like to target drop offs and edges of milfoil weedbeds. Some moderate windy chop can also give life to the terrestrial patterns, and I tend to do best during those conditions. Fish will often cruise just underneath the surface, searching for an easy meal. I seek out large boulders to serve as perches. From these vantage points I can sight fish to the trout that are patrolling just subsurface. A number of terrestrial patterns work well during mid-fall. The trusty purple and black chubby chernobyl ant gets the job done. I also like to use a bionic hopper and bionic ant in tandem. I’ll downsize my fly if I'm getting looks and refusals, or I’ll even tie on a balanced leech below a terrestrial in order to tempt the warier fish. The rainbow trout in Strawberry have a particular weakness for balanced leeches. Late Fall/Early Winter (late October through mid December) Sometime during October or early November, cooling water temperatures result in the loss of stratification of the water column by temperature. The newfound uniformity of water temperature spreads the fish around the lake, and is famously known as the “turnover” event. Fish that once congregated in certain areas and depths now seem to be present everywhere, therefore making this one of the best times of the year for anglers. While mice and terrestrials still attract plenty of fish, I transition my approach to streamers during this time. The fish feel winter coming, and with winter comes the corresponding urge to pack on some calories. They become very aggressive toward baitfish patterns. Everyone has their favorite streamer rig for Strawberry, and many approaches and patterns work well during this prolific time. I have a double-streamer approach that usually gets it done. I start with a Rio Predator S3 line. This three inch-per-second sink on this line gets my flies down fast, but not too rapidly. Also, the running line on this model is floating, which is essential when wading the shallows. A sinking running line makes shooting the line impossible as it sinks around my feet. I tie a small swivel about three feet from the end of the fly line. Off this I tie a short (~six inch) piece of tippet, to which I attach a fairly large white streamer like a peanut envy or a goldie. Also tied to the swivel is a separate, six-foot-long piece of tippet, to which I tie a small black streamer like a wooly bugger or leech. With this set-up I believe the large white streamer attracts the fish from afar, but they ultimately eat the leech about twice as often as the white streamer. This tandem rig seems to work better than using one fly or the other separately. The streamer fishing remains excellent literally all the way up until the lake caps with ice. One of my alltime best Strawberry streamer days occurred the actual day before the lake froze over in mid-December. During the early winter weeks, I target the calmest, warmest days just for my own comfort, as the weather on the lake can make for a truly frigid and miserable experience if it's snowing or windy during this time of year. When it comes to Strawberry Reservoir, many anglers have more expertise than me. But I’ve caught enough fish there to know that fall is a truly special time on this unique waterbody. It provides a great alternative to fishing during the brown trout spawn on nearby streams. Although it’s fun to fish by boat, a watercraft isn’t necessary, as so many fish cruise the shallows within casting distance of shore. It is also a very reasonable drive for those of us who live along the Wasatch Front. With such a low barrier to entry, Strawberry Reservoir is one of my favorites when I need a quick autumn getaway. Feel free to get in touch by Instagram @chadagy if I can provide more guidance on this remarkable fishery.