Conditions Right Now
Your Loadout 🎣 Stock Up on Gear
Tackle + Bait Slots
Winter loadout: auger, ice cleats, short jig rod, insulated bibs.
Why Fish Here
The tiger muskie here are a catch-and-release fishery by rule, and DWR publishes handling instructions worth reading before you go: land the fish fast, unhook it in the water with long pliers, and never keep it out of the water more than 30 seconds. Carry a big net and wire cutters. The muskies were stocked here to control panfish populations. Crappie limit is 20, and cut baitfish cannot exceed one inch in any dimension.
How To Fish It
Best rigs: Big bucktails/glide baits + steel leader along weedlines for muskie; crappie jigs around the narrows
Bait and lures: 10" swimbaits (muskie), 1/16 oz jigs (panfish), worms
Best time: Dawn & dusk for muskie; midday fine for panfish. Season: May-September; ice fishing for crappie/perch
Local tip: THE tiger muskie factory of the West - 50-inchers every year. Muskies must be released immediately. Cemetery Point & the narrows for crappie.
Species Playbook
Tiger Muskie
Rig: Heavy rod, steel leader, big bucktails & glide baits, figure-8 at the boat
Bait: 10 in swimbaits, bucktails, big spoons
When: Dawn/dusk; overcast summer days
The 'fish of 10,000 casts.' Pineview is famous for 50-inchers. Handle with care & release.
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.
Yellow Perch
Rig: Drop-shot two small jigs tipped with worm near bottom
Bait: Mealworms, perch meat (where legal), tiny tube jigs
When: Midday is fine - ice fishing staple
School fish. Through the ice, they save the day when trout sulk.
Smallmouth Bass
Rig: Ned rig, drop shot, tube jig on rocky structure
Bait: 3 in green-pumpkin plastics, crawfish crankbaits, topwater early
When: Morning & evening in summer; all day spring/fall
Count to the bottom, drag it slow over rocks. Fights way above its weight class.
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.
Getting There + Nearby
Nearby adventures: Anderson Cove Campground (Camping, 1 mi) · Waterfall Canyon (Hike, 5 mi) · Glassmans Pond (Ogden) (Fishing, 5 mi) · Fort Buenaventura Pond (Fishing, 7 mi)
Quick Answers
- What fish are in Pineview Reservoir?
- Tiger Muskie, Black Crappie, Yellow Perch, Smallmouth Bass, Bluegill & Sunfish.
- What is the best bait at Pineview Reservoir?
- 10" swimbaits (muskie), 1/16 oz jigs (panfish), worms
- When is the best time to fish Pineview Reservoir?
- Dawn & dusk for muskie; midday fine for panfish. Season: May-September; ice fishing for crappie/perch.
- Why fish Pineview Reservoir?
- Because Pineview grows genuinely big tiger muskie and you cannot keep one. Utah closes this reservoir to the possession of tiger muskie, so the fishery is entirely catch and release, and the big fish stay in the system. Crappie, perch, smallmouth and bluegill fill out the rest of the day.