Bear Lake Report from Tues 1/17/2023

[BearLakeFishGuy]

We had high hopes of repeating a banner day like we had on Friday and Saturday, but I had heard things slowed down on Monday so we gave it a whirl.  We launched about 7:45 and fished the rockpile area all day....jigging. We caught 1 lakers (pic) and 1 cutthroat, along with 5 whitefish.  That was it.  The trout are feeding on cisco and the fishing for them has slowed down.  Others around us (4 other boats) did about the same.  We started in 69' and moved several times.  Even tried right on top of the pile in 38'.  No cisco yet, but we saw a few schools on the depth finder.   

Now for the bad news.  The State Park is really slacking off on maintaining the ramps.  Nothing had been plowed since early last week.  I watched one truck jackknife a trailer and damage his truck while backing down the ramp.  It took us four tries to get up the ramp after fishing with 4 wheel drive.  I asked the Bear Lake State Park why 4 full-time rangers and a full time maintenance man.....along with a plow truck/sander combo, a backhoe with scooper on the front and a brand new tractor with a large plow.....could not get anything done for over a week?  I was told their plow truck/sander was in a roll-over accident and is out of commission.  When I asked about the other equipment, I was told...."we will try to get to things when we can".  This really is unacceptable.   I ask that you write via "messenger", to the Bear Lake State Park at: (1) Bear Lake State Park, Utah | Garden City UT | Facebook
and demand that they do something with the conditions at the marina.  At $125/park pass, they sure aren't doing anything to help out the anglers.  UDOT provides all the free salt/sand, so why can't they get a load in the back of a pickup truck and spread some with a shovel on the ramps?  I know the parks grooms snowmobile trails, but other than that, with 5 full-time people and a secretary, they must be bored out of their gourds in January!  I'm sure the marina will be cleaned up nice for the big Bear Lake Monster Winterfest on January 27-29, but we would like access now!  Oh, and if access isn't bad enough, they plan to close the marina on Saturday for the polar plunge, so plan on launching somewhere else.  Why can't they leave a lane or two on the ramp open for boaters?  Put out some traffic cones and caution tape.  Seems easy enough?  If the marina is closed, then the Parks should at least put in a courtesy dock at First Point or Cisco Beach for the day so people could have an alternative place to launch?  Ok, I"m done with my rant.  Good luck out there.  I suspect the cisco will be caught from boats as early as this coming weekend and might show up along Cisco Beach shortly after.  

My friend with a decent laker.  This one went 33.75"