utah lake: The beginning of the End

[Fin-S-Fish]

It makes me to even think it but I theorize that we are approaching a catastrophic crash at Utah lake. Although last year was slow for the whites, what I found this year was downright disturbing. Over 15 years of fishing this lake this is the first year that the white bass seemed unable to reproduce. Not finding the usual thousands of young of the year pecking at the bait in august was disconcerting. But by the end of the Sept. and still no baby whites, I have come to the conclusion that the spawn was entirely unsuccessful this year. This is something that I have never seen before even in the worst drought years of the past. There are no young of the year from the south end all the way north to the state park, so far as I know. I have yet to make observations from lindon to lehi. Although I hate to forecast impending doom, soon the wallys, lmb, and adult whites will have nothing to feed on and will eventually perish. Not sure what the cause is --- there still seems to be plenty of water for survival purposes and abundant rock cover on the south end especially. Any thoughts or observations?
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[trouthungry]

I cant catch fish there right now if that happens ill be completely screwed but every once in a while things like that happen and fisheries are better off than they were before it happened but who knows i dont think the dwr is worried about it are they?
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[cat_man]

I think it's a big statement to say that the spawn was completely unsuccessful. I'm sure there were plenty of successful spawners, I certainly saw them in the Provo River this spring. The numbers do seem to be down, but not out. More likely I think that with such low water, typical hangouts are high and dry and the fish are in areas that previously they were not. That's my theory anyway.
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[Jedburton]

This july I caught tons of the little 3" guys at the hot springs so I know there had to have been a few make it,
jed
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[doggonefishin]

I had a concern that this would occur and predicted as much in a recent posting here. http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gfo...ead#unread

The WB I was catching in May and June tended to be a lot bigger than in previous years, though less numerous. I only got a few of last years class group this spring. Therefore, I doubt that last years recruitment was too hot either. A poor WB spawn may be why recent reports of skinny walleyes have come in. I would be reluctant though to call this the beginning of the end. WB are so fecund that all we need is for the drought to be over and they will rebound. I suppose the same can be said for a great many of our lakes in Utah. Maybe a silver lining of the june sucker program that elicits so much controversy here is that it will require a certain minimum flow into Utah Lake so water level shouldn't get too bad. (I hope)
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[Fin-S-Fish]

I'm glad to hear the optimistic perceptions conveyed by you people. Some of you noted my obvious pessismism but I became extremely concerned because there has just never been a single year I remember not encountering the current year class of baby whites. I'm glad Jed, that you have found some. Was this at the Lincoln springs? Hopefully there are some survivors for this year out there. I know the other year classes are intact even last years group was quite sucessful. I want to reiterate that I have by no means combed the entire lake, but just enough of it to become concerned. I appreciate the feedback.
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