Deer Creek – Tilt Fishing

Deer Creek Reservoir is a solid fishing option that is close to many anglers and although you may not catch your personal best here, it can still be a fun reservoir to fish. I was able to make a quick trip up there and teach some of my favorite people how to catch some bass. Here are some of the details of where we went, what we used, and how we caught fish at Deer Creek Reservoir. Deer Creek Reservoir Fishing Conditions The weather forecast the day before was supposed to be clear sunny skies but that ended up not being the case. It was cold and cloudy most of the day with a few scattered thunderstorms. Here are some of the specific condition we were faced with: Date: 6/6/19 Weather: 65 degrees, cloudy with scattered thunderstorms Wind: Mild to moderate wind Water Level: 96% full Water Clarity: Clear water in most areas, visibility was about 10-12 feet deep Water Temperature: 58 degrees Time of Day: 7:00 - 1:30 Target Species: Smallmouth Bass and Largemouth Bass Deer Creek Reservoir Fishing Report Early June is typically a great time to go bass fishing at Deer Creek Reservoir. However, it's been a crazy weather year in Utah, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The game plan going in was to cover a lot of water with crank-baits and swim-baits and slow down once we found some fish. With it being springtime I tried to target areas that had flats and coves. We had a pretty decent day overall. We caught 20 + smallmouth bass using a variety of different techniques. Catching bigger fish is always a challenge at Deer Creek Reservoir, at least it has been for me. Today wasn't much different. We did manage to catch some decent size smallies, but by no means broke any records. It was still a great time out on the water chasing small mouth bass. We caught the majority of our fish throwing a swim-bait and a drop shot about in 5-25ft of water. Once we were able to locate them they seemed to be fairly aggressive. If you are looking for a place close to Utah County that has a variety of species then Deer Creek is a solid option for a good fishery. Where we fished Deer Creek Island Red = Areas where we caught fish The island at Deer Creek is on my favorite fishing spots. It does get a lot of recreational traffic so its usually best to hit it in the morning before the crowds start to come out or later in the evening. We caught some nice smallies on the south west side of the island (see red circle above) throwing a small Keitech Swimbait and drop shotting a Robo Worm. We caught fish both shallow and deep in this spot. After picking apart the island we tried fishing just east of the island where there is a flat with a little bit of depth change and we caught several decent smallmouth bass here (See red rectangle). We also had some success fishing the bank near the Deer Creek Island Resort (see big red circle). West Coves Red = Areas where we caught fish Rocky points and coves can be money for smallmouth bass especially in the spring. Throughout the day we ended up catching several bass at and around the coves on the west side of the lake. The fish were anywhere between 2-20ft deep. The areas marked in red in the image above are the places where we were able to catch fish. We had the most success in the shallow water. The bad weather and spring conditions had the smallmouth bass in close for most of the day. Deer Creek Reservoir Lures and Baits When we first got to the lake we were in search mode and started off the day by using reaction style lures such has crankbaits and swimbaits. We had the most success fishing swimbaits and a drop shot. Here are some of the specifics of each bait and lure we used and how we did with each one: Swimbaits– The Keitech Easy Shiner (3.5 inch) and Keitech Fat Swing (3.8 inch) Impact were out top performers of the trip. We saw the most success with this bait casting it to the shallows and slow rolling it to the boat. When we did get bit the bass would hammer it. There was a stretch where we picked up 3 decent size smallies on back to back casts. Best Swimbait: Keitech Easy Shiner (3.5 inch) and Keitech Fat Swing (3.8 inch) Best Crankbait: River2Sea Ish Monroe Biggie Square Bill Crankbaits (Color: Cold Blooded) Drop Shot – The drop shot was one of the most effective technique on the trip. We caught over 6 fish with this finesse technique. (leader = 6 inches, weight = 1/8 ounce) For more information about drop shot bait check out our other post Best Drop Shot Baits for Smallmouth Bass. Best Drop Shot Baits: Straight Tail Roboworm (Aaron’s Magic and Morning Dawn) Senko (Texas Rig) – We tried fishing a Yum senko in watermelon/red flake senko Texas rigged weightless. However, we didn't manage to catch bass using this setup (it might have been the angler using it haha) Jig – We threw a few different micro jigs with little success. Deer Creek Fishing Tips Smallmouth Bass caught at Deer Creek Reservoir Move Around – If you are not catching fish in one spot, don’t be afraid to move around until you do. Fishing the same or similar areas can be one of the biggest mistakes anglers make. If you are not on them move around and keep trying different things. Go with Finesses Style Techniques – If the fishing is tough or you are fishing with some beginners, finesse style baits such as a Ned Rig or drop shot is excellent way to catch a lot of fish. These techniques work well at any time of the year and in any condition. Use Natural Colors – Deer Creek Reservoir can be a very clear reservoir that receives a lot of fishing pressure. This combo can make it tough at times to catch fish. For this reason, I like to stick to more natural colors. This will help get you more bites if you aren’t having any luck. Final Thoughts Bass fishing at Deer Creek is always a good time. All and all we had a great day trip fishing at this reservoir. We were able to catch over 20+ fish and got some new anglers on their first smallmouth bass. We hope this article helps you the next time you decided to fish. If you are searching for other great places to catch bass in Utah check out our post: The 12 Best Bass Fishing Spots In Utah. Tight Lines!