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Hot Fishing at Flaming Gorge

© Louis Bignami

Think saltwater and longline a Size 11 trout finish Rebel or a big flatfish with enough patience to challenge Bob Bringhurst 33 pound brown trout record from Flaming Gorge. Otherwise hit the rainbow fishing near the Visitor Center and in Linwood, Stateline and other bays for both shore and boat fishers and pick up bonus smallmouth. For Lakers, just go deep enough and you might snag a 50 ½ pound laker lake that taken just off Lucern where the Henry's Fork dumps into the reservoir.

Put in at Cedar Springs Marina or Lucern to focus on the Utah side of the lake - Wyoming anglers will put in at Buckboard crossing. With a mix of brown trout, channel catfish, kokanee, mackinaw, rainbows and smallmouth you've lots of choices. Note that you need a Wyoming fishing stamp available locally to fish the majority of the lake in that state, and do check the special regulation. Two pole permits are recommended for trollers.

According to Wyoming Fish and Game, "There are far too many small mackinaw in the lake so take home a few." Small lakers do barbeque better than big ones and hit smaller plugs and spoons that will also produce rainbows and browns.

Lucern is a good central launching point as there's action on two to three pound rainbows now east in the bay to the shallows of Antelope Flat. Shore fishers use marshmallow and worm or salmon egg sandwiches or nightcrawlers fished under a bobber or just off bottom. Worms or sucker chunks can produce channel catfish too.

Boaters do better on trout with pop gear and worms or smaller trolling spoons. Casting tube lures up against steep shore where there's a spring or inlet trickle/stream takes both smallmouth and trout.

The mouth of Sheep Creek is hot now for trout and smallmouth - it's also the spot where Bringhurst took his big brown - with small spoons, tube lures dropped down the rocks and bait the choice for rainbows and smallmouth - the latter are just starting to bite.

However, if you want to catch browns go with big plugs long lined inshore - sideplaners can move lures away from the boat as big browns are boat shy - until water temperatures come up and browns drop back into downrigger country. As always dawn and dusk are the prime times.

From Cedar Springs Marina it is just a short troll down to the deep water at the dam that's producing trout, catfish and smallmouth. A few kokanee are starting to show on wedding ring and corn rigs too. On a first trip out of here go with guide - even a half-day trip helps -- to shortcut the steep learning curve at this 50-mile long lake. Guides also have the seaworthy boats you need when the wind howls. As an alternative consider a cabin cruiser or

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