SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 1, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah’s spearfishing community see their opportunities grow, especially underwater.
The Utah Wildlife Board of the Division of Wildlife Resources has expanded the areas allowing the sport as well as the species practitioners can hunt.
“After receiving feedback from local spear anglers who wanted additional spearfishing opportunities, the DWR surveyed anglers and also evaluated some water bodies around Utah that needed increased harvest of specific fish species,” the agency said after last week’s board meeting. “The Utah Wildlife Board voted to approve the following changes to spearfishing in Utah:”
- Clarifying that spear anglers are allowed to use underwater scuba equipment while spearfishing.
- Allowing spearfishing for Utah chub at all waterbodies that currently allow fishing.
- Allowing spearfishing for northern pike and white bass in Utah Lake, with no limit on either species for spearfishing. Northern pike were illegally introduced and have impacts on June suckers, a threatened fish species found only in Utah Lake and its tributaries. White bass are plentiful at Utah Lake and will provide another opportunity for spear anglers.
- Allowing spearfishing for northern pike in the Jordan River (with no harvest limit while spearfishing) to help remove the illegally introduced species.
- Allowing spearfishing for northern pike in all Utah Lake tributaries west of I-15 — except for the Provo River and the newly created Provo River Delta — in an effort to help remove an illegally introduced species. This will include American Fork Creek, Beer Creek, Dry Creek, Hobble Creek, Spanish Fork River, Spring Creek and Spring Run Creek. There will not be a harvest limit while spearfishing for northern pike in these areas.
- Allowing spearfishing for common carp at Jordanelle Reservoir.
- Allowing spearfishing for smallmouth bass at Quail Creek Reservoir.
“These new changes provide additional spearfishing opportunities and will help address illegal fish introductions since spear anglers can target specific species,” DWR Sportfish Coordinator Randy Oplinger said. “With no harvest limit on spearfishing for some of these problematic species, spear anglers can help reduce the number of illegal fish in these waterbodies.”
The Utah Spearfishing page on Facebook counts 205 members and the National Freshwater Spearfishing Association is holding a regional confab and tournament Oct. 7-8 at Lake Powell.
