WASATCH COUNTY, Utah — With all the cold weather this winter in Utah, ice fishing has become more popular and FOX 13's Dan Evans went out on the ice to learn more about the unique sport.
At Deer Creek Reservoir, there’s a variety of fish under the ice for everybody. You can expect to catch walleye, perch, brown trout or rainbow trout.
The Department of Wildlife Resources stocks 90 thousand rainbow trout at the reservoir every year and they all come back out on hooks within a year and a half.
"There's a lot of opportunity," explained regional aquatics manager Chris Crockett. "Fortunately, those grow really fast. So if you come out and you catch a few small ones, those are probably the ones we just stocked this summer but keep at it, there's a lot of nice fat 16 and 19-inch rainbows in here."
Ice fishing is generally safe, but extra cautious practices should always be implemented. Ice picks are one piece of gear that you should not go without.
"If you're going to risk it and go out around four inches of ice, which is what we kind of recommend would be the minimum that people go out," explained sport fish biologist Tyler Robinson. "They come apart, hang around your neck. So if you happen to fall through, you can grab them, stab them into the ice and pull yourself back up. Because more than likely, your fingernails are not going to do the trick."
A whistle is also a handy piece of gear because it will alert others you need help.
On larger bodies of water, it's important to note that ice doesn't freeze consistently.
"So we might have 10 inches like we're sitting on today," Robinson said. "But you go 100 yards over from your holes and you could be on six inches. It's very variable on the system."
After making sure conditions are safe, the hobby can be an inexpensive recreational activity for the entire family.
"Kids younger than 12 don’t need a fishing license and older than that, it’s 5-33 bucks a year depending on age," Robinson said.
To learn more about ice fishing and to get started in Utah, click here.
