Deer creek walleye fishing?

[parryconner]

I just had an unusual conversation with a gal at deer creek state park. I am getting my boat ready and excited for upcoming walleye and wanted to ask what time the automatic gate opens at the state park. She said 06:00am, and that It closes at 10:00pm. I have fished Deer creek with great success at night in the summer months for Walleye. In the past, the gate closes at 10:00pm for entry, but you can always leave anytime. She said that has changed since last year and now all boaters have to be off the water and out the gate by 10:00pm. I think that’s crazy and if it’s true, it has ruined my favorite summer walley spot. Does anyone known if this is true? I Don’t know of any other state park or reservoir that kicks you off at 10 PM. That seems absolutely crazy to me. They have the state park pass, and pay a fee, I should be able to fish all night long if I wanted to. I also know that people camp at deer Creek State Park, and there’s no way they could lock campers in behind a closed gate. What if there was an emergency, I just don’t understand that concept of closing the gate to fisherman at 10 PM. I will follow up Monday morning with the DWR office to get some confirmation on this. The lady said anybody on the water past 10pm  would receive a ticket. I left a message with the park ranger to confirm.

[catchinon]

SSDD. Sounds like the Golden Rule: those who have the gold make the rules. Sorry

[a_bow_nut]

I'll believe it when I see the ticket on my windshield.

Sounds like someone is a little drunk from imaginary power that they think that they have.

[parryconner]

I used to work night shift, it messed my sleep patterns up pretty bad. Couple summers ago I started fishing Deer Creek quite a bit at night, because it was too tough to switch back and forth to day fishing and stay awake. I would pull up to the gate around 930pm when all the power squadron was leaving, and most the time I had a calm lake all to myself. The night bite up there can be pretty stellar for all species. This will be really if it’s actually true. I wonder if we could get some kind of petition or something to open this up. I can’t see any difference between people that are camping up there all night and someone using the lake to fish at night. Especially if your boat and registration and navigation lights are on and everything is legal.

[Therapist]

Welcome to our tax dollars at work !!!

[Mildog]

It’s been a few years, but used to fish it after dark and have done well later in the summer on walleye
I caught a 7 lb brown at night casting countdown Rapalas when fishing for walleye. Closing access to those that want to night fish is BS.
Mildog out

[fish_fear_me2]

I just had an unusual conversation with a gal at deer creek state park. I am getting my boat ready and excited for upcoming walleye and wanted to ask what time the automatic gate opens at the state park. She said 06:00am, and that It closes at 10:00pm. I have fished Deer creek with great success at night in the summer months for Walleye. In the past, the gate closes at 10:00pm for entry, but you can always leave anytime. She said that has changed since last year and now all boaters have to be off the water and out the gate by 10:00pm. I think that’s crazy and if it’s true, it has ruined my favorite summer walley spot. Does anyone known if this is true? I Don’t know of any other state park or reservoir that kicks you off at 10 PM. That seems absolutely crazy to me. They have the state park pass, and pay a fee, I should be able to fish all night long if I wanted to. I also know that people camp at deer Creek State Park, and there’s no way they could lock campers in behind a closed gate. What if there was an emergency, I just don’t understand that concept of closing the gate to fisherman at 10 PM. I will follow up Monday morning with the DWR office to get some confirmation on this. The lady said anybody on the water past 10pm  would receive a ticket. I left a message with the park ranger to confirm.

I dont think they will lock you in. Not sure. They could charge you the camping fee if you are there late.

[RockyRaab2]

All the other parks have sensors that will open the exit gate when you drive up and stop just short of it. It's only the entrance gate that's turned off at 10 pm. As others say, it would be gross negligence to lock people in the park in the event of a fire or medical emergency. I suspect the "closes at 10 pm" statement meant only the entrance side, and that one or the other of you misinterpreted it.

[parryconner]

I called back and spoke to a different person. The exit gate will open up at all times of the night, nobody will be locked in. The main concern is that they are stating “all boats need to be off the water at 10:00pm or they’ll be ticketed, no more night boating is allowed. Do any other state parks have this same ruling?

[MrShane]

Some people in government forget who they work for and that they should not be taking our land/water away from us.
They forget that State Parks belong to the people of Utah.

[WET1]

I called back and spoke to a different person. The exit gate will open up at all times of the night, nobody will be locked in. The main concern is that they are stating “all boats need to be off the water at 10:00pm or they’ll be ticketed, no more night boating is allowed.  Do any other state parks have this same ruling?

Man, that seems like a bit of over reach. I didn't think they owned the water, just the access.

[parryconner]

I just spoke to the state park manager, we had a long conversation. The new ruling is correct and it went into affect in 2020. He said the rule was that in place to prohibit boat camping and people using the lake to access camping in areas outside the state park. He said he was going to check in with the other state park managers and see if this is something they were going to continue to enforce. As of right now he said it would be enforced with a trespassing ticket if any boat is on the water past 10 PM. I encouraged him to rethink this because of the restrictions on night fishing. Some of the best times I’ve ever had on deer Creek were fishing at night, seems like the fish calm down once all the power boats leave and they move in shallow to feed. He said he had no idea that they were people that actually fish deer Creek at night. Hopefully Changes will be made in the future to allow this again. It’s another lost fishing opportunity, seems like this is becoming a common theme.

[PAC12_AfterDark]

Trespassing, as in actual criminal trespassing?!

[parryconner]

That’s what he said.

[PAC12_AfterDark]

Wow. That is too bad.

How are they going to handle situations where you are camping at the state park and beach your boat?

Like my dad used to day.. "I'm not surprised, just disappointed" ??

[Therapist]

This is an example of the bureaucracy setting a rule without any input from the public. ""We have to protect our fees about camping, so we'll just close the park at 10PM."" Similar to what happened at Pinview this past winter and the closing of the parking at the state park. DWR attempted to get Sportsman's input with the RAC's. but the Park's people have never done that . They listen to the Off roaders, campers, and such, but hunters and fisherman are excluded !!

[Outfishing13]

parryconner,

Thank for sharing this. I don't fish much after dark, but this really limits our liberty and freedom to use state public resources.  So I did a little digging on my own and found this. Utah state law for parks is covered by:

Index Utah Code
Title 79 Natural Resources
Chapter 4 Parks and Recreation 


https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title79/Chapter4/79-4.html

Specifically see: 79-4-304  - https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title79/Chapte...000101.pdf
For more fun research see: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title79/Chapte...0118000101

Basically this was a rule set by the Board of Parks and Recreation.  Our generous law makers gave the Board the authority to (see 79-4-304(2)(b):

(b) To accomplish the purposes stated in Subsection (2)(a), the board may enact rules that:
  (i) close or partially close state parks; or
  (ii) establish use or access restrictions within state parks.


So we are being ruled over by non-elected appointed bureaucrats.  The worst sort of government, but perhaps necessary in a growing society with all the complexities.   

The board is set up of nine members appointed for four years terms by the governor. One from each judicial district and one from the public at larger.  No more than five members may be from one political party.  (see Utah Code 79-4-302)  https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title79/Chapte...1220210101

To see who is on the board and contact them by email, go to this webpage.  
https://stateparks.utah.gov/resources/bo...ecreation/

You can find out when the next Board meeting and agenda is here:  https://www.utah.gov/pmn/index.html

Since you have a vested interest in seeing the parks stay open 24 hours a day, you may want to write the board and ask to be put on the agenda and prepare a statement asking that the rule be revised.  I wonder if the rule put into place was a Covid-19 reaction.

I guess the best way to change things is not to just complain, but to get involved.  I am glad to hear you called the park and spoke with the manager.  Thank for sharing.  


Matthew

[parryconner]

Thank you for taking the time to post this information. The original purpose of my post was to see if anybody else had heard of this and find out validation until I had heard back from the state park manager. I definitely plan on doing more than just complaining, I have a really hard time with seeing quality fishing opportunities being taken away without any public input.I highly doubt anything will change, but I will definitely voice my opinion and try and get a well written statement on the next agenda

[scartinez]

This is really to hear. Night fishing from my boat is one of my favorite activities in the summer. The only time you can get any peace on the lake when it's warm.

[MrShane]

Any LEO who goes out after 10 pm to write a trespassing ticket should be smart enough to differentiate a fisherman from someone who is camping overnight.
If not, just offer him a delicious bass to look the other way.