Karen and Mike Wright from Richmond relax on Friday morning at Wellsville reservoir on Friday June 9, 2023.

LOGAN –Mike and Karen Wright from Richmond were fishing on Wellsville Reservoir Friday morning trying to see if they could beat the rush of Saturday’s Free Fishing Day.

Karen and Mike Wright from Richmond patently fish on Wellsville Reservoir on Friday June 9, 2023.

“We used to live in Wellsville, and we thought we would see if we could catch any fish before tomorrow when the shore will be lined with people,” Mike said. “What a beautiful place to fish.”

The day was nice and picturesque with a handful of sportsmen relaxing with their poles in the water.

If people want to try their luck in Utah’s waters Saturday, June 10, it is Utah’s Free Fishing Day and a person who doesn’t have a fishing license can still fish. If someone wants to introduce children or grandchildren to the joy of sinking a worm, Saturday is your time to shine. This is the perfect opportunity to give angling a try and help others enjoy the sport. No one needs a license to go fishing.

Gary Howes, the Logan Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Fisheries Experiment Station hatchery manager, said they did not stock the area’s fisheries this year. That is being done by another hatchery.

“We are making some improvements and doing maintenance to the hatchery this year, so we did not stock any fish,” Howes explained. “Another hatchery should be stocking the area fisheries.”

Free Fishing Day allows anyone to fish at any public waterbody in Utah without a license. It’s a great day not only for beginning anglers to give fishing a try but is also a fun time for experienced anglers, too.

Generally Wellsville Reservoir is pleasant today on Friday June 9, 2023 but tomorrow it should be busy for Free Fishing Day.

Because you don’t need a license to fish that day, it’s the perfect time to take someone with you and introduce them to the sport,” Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Aquatics Section Assistant Chief Craig Walker said. “Early June is one of the best times to fish in Utah. All of the fish in the state, both warm-water and cold-water species, are active and willing to bite this time of the year.”

With the abundant water this year most of the fishing in Utah will be great.

Anglers should note that while Free Fishing Day waives the requirement for having a fishing license, entrance fees to state parks and other areas will still apply.

Local community ponds are a great option if you need a quick, close-to-home option for fishing. There are 57 located around Utah. In Cache Valley, Wellsville and Skyler’s Pond (located in Logan’s Willow Park) are two community ponds with easy access. Anglers can also visit the Fish Utah map on the DWR website to find their nearest fishing area.

Mantua Reservoir between Logan and Brigham City offers bluegill, largemouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch and green sunfish. The bluegills are typically near shore in June, so it’s good fishing for beginners. Hyrum State Park offers rainbow trout, brown trout, yellow perch, largemouth bass and bluegill.

People are encouraged to enjoy fine people, being outdoors, breathing some clean air and hopefully a good catch.

In 2020, the DWR stocked 8,241,139 fish into 626 local waterbodies. That’s a total of 1,170,330 pounds of fish. Logan’s Fisheries stocked nearly 253,000 in northern Utah lakes, rivers, creeks and ponds. Trout raised here end up being released in Box Elder, Rich and Weber counties and June suckers are transported to Utah County.







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