3 spots in Utah that offer great shore fishing in September

SALT LAKE CITY — The autumn leaves around you flash brilliant yellows and reds as you stand on the riverbank. The air has just a hint of coolness as you cast your fishing line into the clear water. Fall fishing has arrived.

Whether you don’t own a boat or you are just in the mood for spending a relaxing afternoon sitting on a bank fishing, September is a great time in Utah to fish from the shore.

Water temperatures are starting to cool down, and fish are moving from the deeper, off-shore areas where they stay during the hot summer and returning to shallow, shoreline areas.

Shore fishing is more than a great option for people who don’t own a boat — it’s also really fun for beginning anglers.

“Shore fishing can be a great way to catch a lot of fish,” Utah Division of Wildlife Resources sportfish coordinator Randy Oplinger said. “The nice thing about shore fishing is that you don't need a lot of equipment. All you need is a rod and some basic equipment like bobbers, hooks and bait. Using lures can also work great when fishing from shore. ”

Shore fishing is also a great option if you want to fish with several of your friends or family. (There aren’t space restrictions like on a boat.)

Here are three waterbodies in Utah that offer good shore fishing:

Lower Provo River

The lower section of the river runs through Provo Canyon and down into Utah Lake. It provides good fly fishing opportunities through the canyon and bait fishing opportunities closer to Utah Lake. Anglers can catch a variety of species, including brown trout, rainbow trout and mountain whitefish in the canyon; and green sunfish, channel catfish, white bass and walleye in the section of the river between I-15 and Utah Lake. September is right before brown trout begin spawning and they can be very active and hungry, making it a great time to fish this area.

“The lower Provo River provides great shore fishing because you can generally cast across the river,” Oplinger said. “The lower Provo is also unique because it is one of the best opportunities to fish a river using bait in Utah.”

The Provo River is quite a popular place to fish and can sometimes be crowded, so plan accordingly. However, it is often less crowded during the fall.

Hyrum Reservoir

This waterbody is part of beautiful Hyrum Lake State Park, located about 20 minutes from Logan. Because this reservoir is part of a state park, it offers great shore access for anglers.

You can catch yellow perch and rainbow trout at Hyrum. Rainbow trout typically like to remain near shore, which improves your chances of catching a fish. There is also typically less boat traffic during the fall.

Echo Reservoir

Located in Utah’s newest state park, Echo Reservoir also offers great shore fishing opportunities. Anglers can catch rainbow trout, yellow perch and walleye at this waterbody.

“A lot of people have success fishing with a very simple, classic fishing setup that doesn’t require a lot of gear: suspending a hook with a worm or PowerBait about 2 feet below a bobber,” Oplinger said. “If someone is a little more experienced, they can do really well fishing from shore using a variety of spoons, spinnerbaits or jigs.”