White Bass Fishing at Utah Lake


Fishing for white bass at Utah Lake in May and June can be lights out. When we heard some family was coming into town we thought what better way to spend some time together than fishing adventure. We didn’t have a whole lot of time so we decided to make a quick trip to Utah Lake. Fishing it typically really good this time of year and white bass are the perfect species to target when fishing with family and kids. Plus there was a firework show going on later that night. So it was a win win.

We had a great time catching white bass at Utah Lake, the weather wasn’t ideal but we were able to catch a lot of fish and had a great time. Below are some of the details of where we went, what we fished with, and how we caught some white bass at Utah Lake. If you are interested in learning more about catching white bass at Utah Lake check our Beginners Guide to Catching White Bass at Utah Lake article for some great information.

Utah Lake Fishing Conditions

Weather:  65 degrees, mostly cloudy with slight rain

Wind: 7-13 mph

Water Level: 79% full

Water Clarity: Stained water, low water visibility

Water Temperature: 65 degrees

Time of Day: 6:30-8:30PM

Tip: For the most up to date information about fishing condition at the Utah Lake State Park check out the DNR's official website. 

About Utah Lake

Utah Lake is located in Utah county and is one of Utah’s most divers fisheries. Fishermen can catch walleye, catfish, panfish, largemouth bass, carp and white white bass. May and June are an excellent time to go fishing at Utah Lake.

Location: Utah County. Located three miles west of I-15, take exit 268 in Provo and head west from there. The lake will be visible from the freeway.

Size: 96,600 acres

Fish Species: Bullhead catfish, Common carp, Channel catfish, Black crappie, Largemouth bass, Walleye, White bass.

Utah Lake Fishing Report

The white bass at Utah Lake have definitely turned on. Anglers were catching several white bass around the docks and in the provo river. White and chartreuse tube jigs seemed to be the most effective. We caught around 20 white bass in a couple of hours and had many bites where we could not connect.

Our Utah Lake Fishing Spots

Provo Inlet

Some of the best white bass fishing spots at Utah Lake are the tributaries on the east side of the lake. We started our trip off by fishing the Provo Inlet. One of the things that makes this is a great spot is the clean inflow of water and subtle depth changes. White bass love current and the mix of clean water makes it an ideal fishing spot especially during the spring.

This spot produced for us right of the bat on the first few casts. But we ended up getting blown of the main lake with some bad weather and a mostly dead trolling motor. We ended up picking up a few fish here before we headed back to the harbor. If the weather would of held up we would have stayed in this spot a lot longer.

Provo Harbor Docks

Our second spot is where things really picked up. We fished in and around the three boat docks on the west side of the harbor (see image below). The boat docks are a great area to target during the white bass spawn in May and June. They will stack up in here and you can have some spectacular days if you time it right.

We caught around 18 white bass fishing around the docks and saw several other anglers having success as well. We had a lot of newer anglers with us in the boat and it was fun to get them on their first white bass.

White Bass Baits and Lures

We tried a few different lures and presentations. Ultimately a white tube jig was all we really needed. We tried tipping our jigs with night-crawlers but this didn’t seem to make much of a difference. Here are the lures we used and how we did with each one:

White Tube Jig with White Grub Trailer (1/16-1/8 ounce) – This was by far was the most productive technique of the trip. We found casting it out and slowly reeling it in to be super effective a long with hoping and jigging it in.

Chartreuse Jig Head and Trailer (1/16-1/8 ounce) – This was also a productive setup. We caught some fish using a chartreuse colored jig and trailer but the white definitely outperformed this rig.

Spinners – We tried using a few different spinners (white roostertail, mepps etc.) but we didn’t have much luck with them. Once we figured out they were on to the white tube jig, it was tough to fish with anything else.

White Bass Fishing Tips with Jigs

  • Fish Docks and Inlets in May/June
  • Use small jigs tipped with nightcrawler or white bass meat for better success
  • Vary retrieve, try hopping, jigging, swimming your jig
  • Be patient and move around until you find them
  • Once you find them, there are many more to come in the same spot

Final Thoughts

The Provo Boat Harbor is a great place to take the family fishing in Utah County. We had a great time catching white bass at the Provo Inlet and around the docks. White jigs were the ticket and we can’t wait to get back out there. We hope this information helps you out on your next fishing adventure.

Tight Lines!

Aaron Warner

Aaron Warner is an avid angler with over 15 years of experience. He has participated and won fishing tournaments all over the country and enjoys fishing for bass, trout, walleye and other species.

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