bear lake

[fearfish]

Any budy think bear lake will freeze over agein
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[outdoorsman1]

hope not.......

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[RILEYFISH]

I will second that. Hope not either. Open water baby!
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[fishjon]

Bring on the ice
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[wiperhunter2]

You should ask Bearlakefishguy, he is the biologist up there and will have all the details but I think on average the entire lake only freezes once every 10 years with solid lce that last more than a few days.
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[gmwahl]

I live in garden city and am sure hoping it does. The fog isn't as bad when it does and the ice fishing is a blast! The lake freezes most years, but when is the question. Sometimes it waits until February and doesn't get very thick. The wind blowing it off just as we start getting ice is the biggest problem, lord knows we are plenty cold enough for it from December through march!
Curious as to why others don't want it to freeze, unless its just so that they have a place that's still fishable from a boat during the winter. That can be fun, but through the ice is a welcome gift. Simple fishing on a notoriously spotty lake.
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[SkunkedAgain]

I think it comes down to a lot less pressure from boats verses ice when everybody and their friends are all there. So I suspect a lot more fish are harvested on ice years so the trophy guys prefer the fish to stay and keep growing. Just my guess. Later J
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[gmwahl]

Ah, that could make sense. Still, compared to other waters in utah, I think bear lake doesn't lose too many fish to the creel. I do keep a few lakers every year to put in pint jars and pressure can. Tastes just like canned salmon and the wife and kids love it, but gross as it may sound to some guys on here, the suckers are just as good done up that way. Keep those.
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[SkunkedAgain]

I haven't ever tried sucker, but I have carp and it surprised me, it isn't too bad. I'll bet they might can up okay as well. I'll have to try it sometime. Thanks for the idea. Later J
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[RILEYFISH]

Skunked again said it best. Fishing pressure. The lake is so accessible during ice over. With the technology of new fancy electronics, Atv's, ice huts, sleds, etc, etc, this lake just gets slammed. The fish are so concentrated to certain areas of this lake during the ice over also.

More folks are taking up ice fishing also due to the lower cost verse hunting. Longer seasons, less work to go out and back verses dragging a nice buck or bull from the hills.

No question, more fish are harvested from the bear when it's froze over than not. I've been fishing the bear for the better part of 40 years. I've seen the number of folks increase on the ice over the years. From the Cisco disco, bft members sharing information, etc, lots of increased pressure. Me personally, I love ice fishing and I get out there on the bear as time allows. But my boat will also get out there anytime there is open water to.

Any how, just my feelings of why I prefer open water. But, not like I have any say in it.
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[gmwahl]

I too love to fish it in my boat if it doesn't ice up. Winter, in my opinion, is the easiest time to fish bear lake in a boat. My biggest cutts have all been January fish. Add the jigging for ciscos on the rockpile and its plain fun. I think the lake can sustain the pressure, but its good to know that there are anglers out there who care enough not to keep everything they catch. That being said, I do keep a few of each species to eat(grilled 3-5# cutt and laker fillets are sinfully good), but the total number I keep annually is very small in comparison to other waters. I do support others right to keep fish from here as they payed good money in license fees and money in my community. Two trout per angler really is a small number considering how many people get skunked here. Just my opinion though.
Also, catch and release does help if one is so inclined to toss them back as I have caught many fish with wounds and scars from being caught and they are plenty happy to fight another day apparently. Most trout I've caught in this big lake are hopefully still out there!
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[lavaman]

The lake seems to freeze up with safe ice only once every 3 years or so. The key is that wind, like others mentioned.

I'm hoping it freezes up again because ice fishing there is an absolute blast. It tends to be slower than other lakes, but when you get one, it's good size more often than not.

Bring on the ice!
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[RILEYFISH]

I'm not totally opposed to someone keeping some smaller cutts and smaller lakers. I do however cringe a little when I see those large lakers biting the dust. But like you said, they bought their license and they have a right to keep a fish like that. I myself will not keep a large one as long as he or she can swim away. To each their own
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[jaklakmak]

We shouldn't worry that much about the laker population when you put larger macs into the conversation. Big ones are not the ones spawning so harvesting them isn't going to hurt the breeding population. Careful management with applicable slot limits and closures is the key to a successful fishery. If the game and fish (DWR) allows large limits with no slot then absolutely it will decimate the population. I'd like to see a closure myself like they have in Jackson Lake in Teton Park in October to give the macs a chance to spawn with no harvest. Fishing is usually still red hot at the first of Nov. at the end of the spawn so sitting out a month is no biggie for me.
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[RILEYFISH]

[quote jaklakmak

I'd like to see a closure myself like they have in Jackson Lake in Teton Park in October to give the macs a chance to spawn with no harvest. Fishing is usually still red hot at the first of Nov. at the end of the spawn so sitting out a month is no biggie for me.[/quote]

While I enjoy fishing the bear this time of year very much, I think you could be onto something there.

It still boils down to a persons personal preference. I personally will not keep the big ones simply because I want to let them go for others to enjoy the opportunity that I had. If others choose to keep them, so be it. I can't convince everybody to feel as I do.
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[jaklakmak]

[quote RILEYFISH][quote jaklakmak

I'd like to see a closure myself like they have in Jackson Lake in Teton Park in October to give the macs a chance to spawn with no harvest. Fishing is usually still red hot at the first of Nov. at the end of the spawn so sitting out a month is no biggie for me.[/quote]

While I enjoy fishing the bear this time of year very much, I think you could be onto something there.

It still boils down to a persons personal preference. I personally will not keep the big ones simply because I want to let them go for others to enjoy the opportunity that I had. If others choose to keep them, so be it. I can't convince everybody to feel as I do.[/quote]I forgot to mention that I release the big ones as well.[cool]
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[RILEYFISH]

[cool][fishon]
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[gmwahl]

The lakers don't actually successfully spawn in bear lake. There are a few eggs that make it, but the silt, currents, lack of good structure and egg sucking fish pretty much make it an event if a laker is born in this lake. It is stocked and managed as a put and take fishery, so keeping only certain sizes does very little to the population. Still, it does feel nice to let a big one go to fight again knowing that you may be the one to catch him a second time.
I have spent the last 20 years fishing the spawn and have seen lots and lots of fish released. Though some may try to "force feed" the spawning lakers, most I've seen just enjoy the night fishing and may only end up catching one or two per trip if they are lucky. It's a unique fishing opportunity to catch a large trout from shore and the closest thing to catching a large salmon that most anglers in utah will ever get. I'm against shutting it down to satisfy the concerns of the few, but I still keep my eye on other anglers when I'm fishing lest they try pillaging our lake while they think no one is watching.
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[outdoorsman1]

aren't the lake trout in bear lake sterile?

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[gmwahl]

Not sterile to the best of my knowledge, just inefective at spawning successfully. I could be wrong, but I was told that by an ex- biologist.
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