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Why Fish Here
The crappie limit at Gunlock is 100 fish, which is not a typo and tells you exactly how this reservoir is managed. When the crappie are stacked in the flooded brush you can fill a bucket, and the largemouth and bluegill are right there with them. Smallmouth bass carry no limit and none may be released, so identify what you are holding. It is low, warm and open year round, which makes it a March option when the mountains are still frozen.
How To Fish It
Best rigs: Wacky Senko near flooded brush
Bait and lures: Senkos, jigs, worms
Best time: Morning & evening. Season: March-November
Local tip: After wet winters the spillway waterfalls go viral - and the bass bite stays honest.
Species Playbook
Largemouth Bass
Rig: Texas-rigged worm near weeds; wacky rig Senko
Bait: Senkos, jigs, frogs over pads, topwater at dawn
When: Dawn topwater, evenings; pre-spawn (April-May) is prime
Look for submerged brush, tules, and shade lines.
Bluegill & Sunfish
Rig: Worm under a small bobber, size 10 hook - that's it
Bait: Worms, mealworms, tiny jigs
When: All day long, all summer
THE kid fish. Pelican Lake grows bluegill the size of dinner plates.
Black Crappie
Rig: 1/16 oz marabou jig 2-6 ft under a bobber near structure
Bait: White/pink jigs, minnows under a slip bobber
When: Dusk into dark; spring spawn near brush
Twitch it, pause it - the bite is a soft 'tick.' Powell's spring crappie bite is elite.
Getting There + Nearby
Nearby adventures: Gunlock State Park (State Park, 0 mi) · Petrified Dunes (Hike, 7 mi) · Hidden Pinyon Overlook (Hike, 8 mi) · Snow Canyon State Park (State Park, 8 mi)
Quick Answers
- What fish are in Gunlock Reservoir?
- Largemouth Bass, Bluegill & Sunfish, Black Crappie.
- What is the best bait at Gunlock Reservoir?
- Senkos, jigs, worms
- When is the best time to fish Gunlock Reservoir?
- Morning & evening. Season: March-November.
- Why fish Gunlock Reservoir?
- Because it is a warm-water bass and panfish lake you can fish in a t-shirt in early spring, while most of Utah is still under ice. Wacky-rigged plastics near flooded brush cover the bass, and the crappie limit is generous enough that a good day is a real haul.