Enterprise Reservoir - Upper, UT

Enterprise Reservoir lies within a pinion and juniper forest. This is a popular spot for Las Vegas-area anglers, particularly early in the year. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources owns a small conservation pool which helps to maintain both trout and smallmouth bass during low water.The Division stocks five-inch rainbow trout, which grow fast. 14-inch, 1-pound rainbows are a common catch. Abundant crayfish provide a good source of food for both the smallmouth bass and the larger trout. Smallmouth bass reproduce well and 10- to 12-inch fish are common.Any baits fished from shore will work for trout, and so will trolling with spinners or pop gear. The smallmouth will attack any small plastic bait fished near a rocky structure on a 1/16- to 1/18-ounce jig head. The smallbouth will also take spinners and flies fished near a structure. The best trout fishing is in the spring and fall. Bass provide fast action from late May through Labor Day.Upper Enterprise Reservoir was drained in fall 2007 in order to repair the dam. Complications kept the reservoir empty in 2008, but work was completed in 2009 and the trout fishery was restored. Adult smallmouth bass will be reintroduced in 2010, though it will take a few years for this population to expand and reestablish.Lower Enterprise Reservoir has no conservation pool and is occasionally drained in late summer during dry years. It was drained in fall 2009 for dam repairs, but will fill again in 2010. Catchable-sized rainbow trout are stocked in early spring to take advantage of good water levels in the early season. When the water level remains good and fall and winter survival is high, rainbows have been known to grow to decent size, up to 18 inches, in the lower reservoir.A fish consumption advisory has been issued for rainbow trout in Upper Enterprise Reservoir due to elevated levels of mercury. For details, visit www.fishadvisories.utah.gov.