Utah Lake Catfishing - Utah Outdoor Activities

Utah lake offers two species of catfish: The channel catfish (Ictalurus puncatus) has bluish gray to silvery sides, usually with dark spots on smaller fish, and the tail has a deep fork. The Bullhead or commonly known as the Mudcat (Ictalurus melas) is smaller then the channel catfish with the average being about 12 inches. Mudcats are blackish-olive with a yellowish belly. They have a very large head that makes up most of the fishes weight.

Although both species are very tasty at the table, you will have to catch more of the Mudcats to make a good meal. Catfish begin to spawn in Utah Lake around mid-May and well into June. During this time the fish can be found in shallow close to the shore making this a perfect opportunity for the shore angler to catch these fish. Some of the prime spawning areas are the American Fork Boat Harbor and the Powell Slough. Other areas of the lake that offer great catfishing opportunities are the Utah Lake State Park Marina, Lincoln Beach, Geneva Bubble up and even the west side of the lake. After the spawn, catfishing continues to be good through the summer months, then starts to decline when the water temperatures start to drop.

Although I have caught catfish during the day time hours, catfish generally feed one hour before the sun goes down, through out the night and into early morning. There are several catfish baits on the market today, but the baits that I have had success with are the shrimp and night crawler combo, night crawlers alone, link sausage, and commercial stink baits preferably blood and fish flavors. A lot other anglers choose to use the ever popular carp meat, and chicken livers.

Utah Lake produces some very large catfish, the record being 32 lbs. 5oz. caught in 1978, so when fishing for these species make sure your tackle is up to the challenge. I prefer a medium weight spinning rod with at least 12 pound test. Your tackle also depends on the area you plan to fish, some of the areas of the lake has a lot of vegetation such as cattails, and sunken trees. These areas may require a heavier line. Also remember there is always the chance of catching a new state record, so be sure your rod, reel and line are in good condition.

For more information visit:

http://www.utahoutdooractivities.com/utahcatfish.html

Thank you for watching.

Troy Webb
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