Lake Powell vs Bear Lake: which Utah lake to fish this week

Lake Powell

Lake Powell reads 58°F (a few days ago). The level reads 3,539.1 ft, 5.6 ft higher than a week ago and 20 ft up over 30 days. That puts it 43 ft below the usual level for this time of year. Rising water floods new cover along the banks, and fish move in with it.

Striped bass on Lake Powell are in their comfort zone. Stripers and white bass chase shad hard as the water cools, often busting bait at the surface. Next up, smallmouth bass: worth a try. Smallmouth handle cool water well; the 50s often bring some of the biggest fish of the year onto rocky points.

With about 161,000 acres and roughly 1,900 miles of shoreline at full pool, Lake Powell is a lot of water to cover. At its deepest the lake reaches around 580 ft. Striped bass, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass are what most anglers on Lake Powell are after. Knowing which fish are comfortable at today's temperature narrows a big lake down to a few good spots.

Bear Lake

Bear Lake reads 51°F (a few days ago). The level reads 5,918.5 ft, about the same as a week ago. That puts it 4.5 ft below the usual level for this time of year. A steady level keeps fish on familiar spots, so what worked last week should still be close.

On Bear Lake, trout are a strong bet. Trout are comfortable in the 50s and cruise shallow, so shore anglers get their best shot. Lake trout here are in their comfort zone. Cool surface water brings lake trout up toward shore points.

Bear Lake covers about 69,800 acres with roughly 48 miles of shoreline at full pool. At its deepest the lake reaches around 210 ft. Anglers come to Bear Lake for trout and lake trout. Knowing which fish are comfortable at today's temperature narrows a big lake down to a few good spots.

Where they differ

The 7°F gap is the big one. Warmer water on Lake Powell keeps fish feeding longer into the season; on Bear Lake the bite is slower and fish sit closer to deep water.

Levels differ too: Lake Powell is the lower of the two against its normal, so its fish crowd onto fewer points and its shallow ramps are the first to struggle.

Our pick

Pick Lake Powell this week for striped bass: Thursday rates good for the bite, and the water sits at 58°F. Bear Lake is the better call if you are after trout.

Lake by lake

• Lake Powell58°F58°F water, level rising, 43 ft below normal, calm this morning.
• Bear Lake51°FClear water, 51°F water, level steady, 5 ft below normal, calm this morning.