Fishing forecast (September–November): 

Kokanee salmon: Kokanee fishing was outstanding this past summer, but these fish are now transitioning to spawn and die, and their fishing season is now closed until Nov. 30. Angler reminder:Anglers may not possess kokanee salmon at any Utah waterbody from Sept. 10 through Nov. 30 to protect spawning kokanee. Kokanee fishing will typically start to pick up after ice-on in January. 

Cutthroat and rainbow trout: Cutthroat and rainbow fishing really starts to pick up as the water cools in mid-September through ice-on. This can be some of the fastest fishing of the year. Anglers can often pick up numerous small- to medium-sized cutthroat by trolling a white or green 3- to 4-inch tube jig tipped with a small piece of worm just under the surface about 100 feet behind the boat at 1.0 to 1.8 mph. Giving the jig a tug every once in a while, and letting it back out slowly to set trolling distance, helps entice fish to actually hit or take the jig. When using this trolling method, keep the rod in hand and be ready to set the hook when feeling a bite, as the fish will rarely hook themselves. Tipping the jig with a small piece of worm on the hook can often produce numerous strikes from the same fish, giving anglers multiple chances to hook the fish, rather than only having one shot to set the hook. Tube jigs can also be effective, jigging them vertically from a boat, float tube or kick boat (either anchored or while slowly drifting with a slight breeze) rather than trolling. The trick with jigging tubes is being able to find the best location and depth to intercept fish. Rocky points and steeper shoreline areas are good locations to target. Finding the right depth often requires a bit of trial and error so having a fish finder can be very helpful. Another effective method for anglers fishing jigs from a boat or kick boat is casting towards the shore, and retrieving back out. This method, in particular, is a good way to target larger cutthroat trout cruising closer to shore. Hard-plastic minnow imitations and topwater lures can also produce fish closer to shore, particularly fished along or perpendicular to shorelines. Larger cutthroat are often caught in the fall along the shorelines with these methods. Trolling or casting frozen minnows in shallower water can also be an effective method for catching larger cutthroat, but anglers typically do not catch as many fish compared to those using active methods. Fly fishing, particularly from float tubes and kick boats, can be very successful in October and November for cutthroat and rainbows. Various fly patterns (typically olive or darker colors) and fly lines produce good catch rates in the fall. The trick is finding the right depth and the right speed of the retrieve. Anglers often catch rainbows during these fall months by bait fishing from shore or anchored boats (typically targeting water less than 30 feet deep). Trout dough baits and nightcrawlers fished off the bottom, or below a bobber closer to the surface, regularly produce fall rainbows. Angler location is important—focus on points and steeper shorelines.