Park City area anglers enjoy year-round fly fishing opportunities at any of five popular, mid-elevation reservoirs, all within an hour’s drive. Deer Creek, Jordanelle, Rockport, Echo and East Canyon reservoirs are all managed as multi-layered, or “two-story” fisheries, home to two or more species of sport fish.
While trout species reign supreme in summer at most alpine and higher-elevation reservoirs in the area, these five mid-elevation waters provide plenty of angling action all year long. During winter, early spring and late fall, when water temperatures are cool, trout, yellow perch, and even walleye at Deer Creek are easily accessible on the “first-floor” to both shore and boat anglers. But when the water warms up at the surface during the dog days of summer, these species descend to deeper water, often inaccessible to shore anglers.
That’s when “second-story” fishing heats up. Warm water-loving species like black bass and crappie are stocked in these reservoirs to enhance year-round opportunities for anglers.
They’re active near the surface and hungry from late spring through early fall while the water is warmer.
“These multi-layered fisheries provide more fishing opportunities than if they were just managed for trout. We try to provide unique fishing opportunities with variety,” says Phil Douglass, a conservation outreach manager with the Division of Wildlife Resources.
At nearby Jordanelle Reservoir, a popular two-story trout/bass fishery just 15 minutes from downtown Park City, three new species were introduced last year to enhance the mix of sport fish found there: wipers, a feisty hybrid between white and striped bass; tiger muskie, a predacious hybrid of muskellunge and northern pike; and kokanee, a landlocked salmon that turns bright orange during spawning season.
It all adds up to a veritable smorgasbord of angling opportunity for Park City area anglers. To learn more, go to www.wildlife.utah.gov and download the 2017 Utah Fishing Guide.
By Steve Phillips
