Thanks for tuning into KSL Outdoors, I’m Eakle, along with my good buddies Paul Knoph and Evan Perks. Paul, Evan, why are we holding up a wagon wheel? Adam I thought you might ask about that. This wagon wheel that is almost as tall as I am is a symbol of Evanston Wyoming as the hub for fun and adventure in Southwest Wyoming, right Evan? What does he mean Evan. That’s correct if this is Evanston, this is all the things you can go and do within an hour of Evanston. Whether it’s the Uinta’s, the Flaming Gorge, the racetrack, even on your way to Bear Lake. We are the hub of Southwestern Wyoming and the Wasatch Back.
and where is the wagon wheel taking us today. This spoke is taking us North Adam to Fontenelle Reservoir.
Fontenelle Reservoir is located 30 miles North of Kemmerer. It’s upstream of Flaming Gorge and in fact, looks much like the gorge and holds many of the same fish species you find in the gorge.
Rob Keith, Fisheries Supervisor, Wyoming Game and Fish) the fishery is really known for rainbows and brown trout, that’s what people typically come up here for.
(Paul Knoph, Evanston City Planning and Development Director) Look at that. (adam) Nice one? (paul) well yeah, look. (ken) It’s a brown. (paul) Oh my god, (net fish) Oh look at that beautiful fish. (adam) How many casts was that? (paul) About three. (laughs)
(Robert Keith) What’s interesting is this brown fishery is wild. All the brown trout people catch in here are wild recruitment, they come out of the Green River, they come out of Fontenelle creek, they grow up in this reservoir and they do well.>
(Net fish) are you keeping it Paul? (paul) no I’m let him go. I’ll catch more. (adam) nice brown.
(Ken Pearson, Evanston Fisherman) That’s typically what we catch up here in this fishery. (adam) that’s pretty standard huh? (ken) very standard. Yup catch them through the ice like that and catch them on open water. Anytime of the year.
it’s a great start (paul releasing fish) and off you go to…be caught another day.
(Paul) Oh I’m loving this.
(Rob) When we netted last spring. Our biggest brown was 28 inches. So pretty nice fish.
(Adam) be a brown. And it is a brown. (fish jumps) oh! This is a fighting brown!
(Adam) what did you get him on? (ken) Marabou jig, black. Quarter ounce size. (nets fish) there we go. (adam) isn’t that a brown? (ken) Yup, that’s a brown.
(ken) Not too bad.
(Paul) that’s the second brown of the day. Yes it is. (ken face) outstanding.
(Adam) man, rainbow! Want to come get him over here? Here he comes. Oh we better keep one of these. (paul) oh look at that. (adam) look how pretty these fish are.
(Lift fish) that is a chunk. And just the first one of the day, little buck. Got a little kipe on him, just right in the lip. Look how pretty. (paul) good job Adam. (adam) oh that’s nice Fishing is fast at Fontenelle.
(Ken) I’m keeping this one. (adam) that’s a good fish.
(net fish) oh yeah, that’s a good chunk. Nice ken look at that!
(Rob) it’s a really productive warm reservoir you’ve got the Green River coming in, you’ve got the Fontenelle coming in, bringing in a lot of nutrients in and the primary production is zooplankton that I talked about, really blooms strong in here. The fish really grow quickly and they grow big.
Ken) fontenelle rainbow. (adam) look at the shoulders on him. (ken) yup, pretty good sized fish.
(Ken) Where’ your live well at? Right here.
The trout limit is six, that includes another species found in this lake. One Rob forgot to mention.
(rob) I didn’t mention kokanee, I was trying to keep it a secret! (laughs) We do stock 75K kokanee in here and when they do well, they do really well. We have kokanee in here that will get up to 21,22,23 inches. They average around 15-16 inches. Comparable to the gorge.
(Rob) the one thing I would caution people on is.
(Rob) when you get into July the blue green algae starting blooming out here and when the blue green algae starts blooming the kokanee actually take some of that toxic from that algae into their flesh, can’t hurt you but they don’t taste good.
(Rob) oh that’s a nice rainbow, about a two year old here in Fontenelle.
What have you heard being caught here? (rob) ten pound browns being caught, it’s rare, but they do exist out here. We’ve caught 6 pound rainbows out here and we’ve heard of slightly bigger fish. Not frequently but this reservoir can produce a few of those fish.
(Rob) Catching them on just a little powerbait grub, two inch with a light head. I’m not sure if the head really matters, but just casting it to shore and hoping it down the bank. >
Well have more from Fontenlle.
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