An emergency amendment to the 2008 Utah Fishing Guidebook removing catch limits at Vernon Reservoir was issued on Sept. 4 in an effort to save the last fish of the season.
The amendment was issued after state Rep. James Gowens, D-Tooele, determined Vernon Reservoir should be drained so debris blocking the reservoir’s outlet could be cleaned out to allow irrigation water to flow more easily. The draining will begin on Sept. 15, allowing anyone with a fishing license a few weeks to catch and keep as many fish as they can.
“Rather than restrict, we would just as soon have the public go out and keep as many fish as they can,” said Mike Slater, state Aquatic Programs Manager for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. “We don’t like to waste those fish.”
The previous catch limit at Vernon Reservoir was four fish. The new no-limit policy will remain in effect through the rest of the year, though once the reservoir is drained down to make the repairs, few fish may survive in the shallow waters.
Fishing this winter will remain sparse until next spring, Slater said, when the reservoir will be restocked for the summer. Next year’s fishing season should be relatively unaffected, though there may be less Brown Trout than there have been in the past. There should still be plenty of Rainbow Trout available, he said.
“We will make sure it is still stocked with fish,” Slater said. “Despite the poor circumstances, we’re trying to make this the best it can be.”
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