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Salt Lake City Fishing Report: Walleye, Perch, and Bass Bites Up for Fall Anglers
Published 7 months, 2 weeks ago
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Good morning anglers, this is Artificial Lure bringing you the September 12th Salt Lake City fishing report. The air feels crisp with early hints of fall as sunrise came in at 7:06 AM; expect sunset around 7:48 PM tonight. Today’s weather calls for partly cloudy skies, highs near 68°F, and a light breeze from the northwest. There’s no tidal report here in Salt Lake since we’re fishing freshwater reservoirs and rivers, but precipitation is low, and streamflows across Utah are 82% of normal, meaning decent water conditions for the day.
Fish activity is on the upswing thanks to dropping water temps—most larger reservoirs like Utah Lake and Jordanelle have surface temperatures dipping into the mid-60s as fall migrates in. The cooling trend spells good news for all the warmwater species: **walleye**, **yellow perch**, **smallmouth bass**, and **rainbow trout** are all waking up for autumn feeding.
Recent evenings have seen anglers hauling in healthy numbers of walleye and perch from both shore and boat, especially at the deep flats and points on Utah Lake and the narrows by the Jordan River. Reports say walleye are running small to mid-size, with good catches in the 16-20 inch range. Perch bites are consistent, especially on cloudy days—expect a mix of 7-10 inchers with keepers up to 12". Smallmouth bass have started schooling tight near rocky structure; they’re hitting in the mornings and evenings, with fish from 1–3 pounds common.
If you’re heading out today, bring your **jigging gear**. Finesse plastics like the Geecrack Bellows Gill or Bellows Shad in green pumpkin and chartreuse have been stellar for bass, especially with a slow drag-and-hop over rock piles. For perch, a simple 1/16 oz jig head tipped with a piece of worm or minnow does the trick; live bait always fools the pickiest perch. Lure-wise, gold or firetiger colored crankbaits and blade baits are hot right now for walleye—troll them along the deeper flats, especially at dusk when fish push up to feed. Spinner rigs with crawlers, orange or pink blades, and bottom bouncers are getting bites too.
Best bait for today: Nightcrawlers and fathead minnows, especially for walleye and perch. Trout anglers will see luck with chartreuse Berkley PowerBait or salmon eggs, especially if targeting the tributaries or below dam release areas.
Couple of hot spots for today:
- **Utah Lake’s Lincoln Beach**: Shallow weed edges are producing steady perch and walleye. Early morning bite is best, and shore anglers have outpaced boaters for numbers.
- **Jordanelle Reservoir’s Rock Cliff area**: Smallmouths and rainbows are active along rocky banks and submerged timber, especially with soft plastics and small spinners.
- **Weber River at Riverdale**: Flows are steady and cool, and trout are feeding actively in the fast runs. Try drifting worms or tossing small gold spinners.
If you’re just getting out at sunup, focus on shadowed banks and deeper structure—fish will be on the move early before the sun climbs. By midday, target deeper dropoffs with slow presentations. Evening bite is prime for trolling crankbaits or casting jigs near shore.
Thanks for tuning in to your local Salt Lake City fishing report! Be sure to subscribe for the freshest updates and tips from Artificial Lure. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.
Fish activity is on the upswing thanks to dropping water temps—most larger reservoirs like Utah Lake and Jordanelle have surface temperatures dipping into the mid-60s as fall migrates in. The cooling trend spells good news for all the warmwater species: **walleye**, **yellow perch**, **smallmouth bass**, and **rainbow trout** are all waking up for autumn feeding.
Recent evenings have seen anglers hauling in healthy numbers of walleye and perch from both shore and boat, especially at the deep flats and points on Utah Lake and the narrows by the Jordan River. Reports say walleye are running small to mid-size, with good catches in the 16-20 inch range. Perch bites are consistent, especially on cloudy days—expect a mix of 7-10 inchers with keepers up to 12". Smallmouth bass have started schooling tight near rocky structure; they’re hitting in the mornings and evenings, with fish from 1–3 pounds common.
If you’re heading out today, bring your **jigging gear**. Finesse plastics like the Geecrack Bellows Gill or Bellows Shad in green pumpkin and chartreuse have been stellar for bass, especially with a slow drag-and-hop over rock piles. For perch, a simple 1/16 oz jig head tipped with a piece of worm or minnow does the trick; live bait always fools the pickiest perch. Lure-wise, gold or firetiger colored crankbaits and blade baits are hot right now for walleye—troll them along the deeper flats, especially at dusk when fish push up to feed. Spinner rigs with crawlers, orange or pink blades, and bottom bouncers are getting bites too.
Best bait for today: Nightcrawlers and fathead minnows, especially for walleye and perch. Trout anglers will see luck with chartreuse Berkley PowerBait or salmon eggs, especially if targeting the tributaries or below dam release areas.
Couple of hot spots for today:
- **Utah Lake’s Lincoln Beach**: Shallow weed edges are producing steady perch and walleye. Early morning bite is best, and shore anglers have outpaced boaters for numbers.
- **Jordanelle Reservoir’s Rock Cliff area**: Smallmouths and rainbows are active along rocky banks and submerged timber, especially with soft plastics and small spinners.
- **Weber River at Riverdale**: Flows are steady and cool, and trout are feeding actively in the fast runs. Try drifting worms or tossing small gold spinners.
If you’re just getting out at sunup, focus on shadowed banks and deeper structure—fish will be on the move early before the sun climbs. By midday, target deeper dropoffs with slow presentations. Evening bite is prime for trolling crankbaits or casting jigs near shore.
Thanks for tuning in to your local Salt Lake City fishing report! Be sure to subscribe for the freshest updates and tips from Artificial Lure. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
This episode includes AI-generated content.