Utah’s reservoir system remains about 86% full, but some reservoirs aren’t nearly as full as they were this time a year ago.

Upper and Lower Enterprise reservoirs near Enterprise, Washington County, for example, are already down to 30% and 36%, respectively, according to state data. The Upper Enterprise Reservoir level is approximately 40 percentage points below its level last June.

State wildlife officials also increased the daily fishing limit at Crouse Reservoir in Uintah County last month when its levels dropped to 20% of capacity, meaning that the reservoir could run dry. With drought in place and a poor spring runoff, other ponds, lakes and small reservoirs across the state could experience similar problems this year, which could reduce fishing opportunities or even access at certain ramps.

It could also have an impact on fish, which is why Utah Division of Wildlife Resources officials are reminding anglers about the impacts of drought in fishing as water conditions inch closer to what the state experienced between 2020 and 2022.

Lower water levels cause bodies of water to warm up faster, which reduces the amount of oxygen in the water, says Trina Hedrick, the division’s sportfish coordinator. That can create all sorts of problems for the fish in the water.

“The combination of high temperatures and low oxygen can stress many coldwater fish species — like trout — which causes poor growth and disease,” she said in a statement. “Fish can also die when temperatures are too warm or the oxygen levels get too low.”

It’s why division allowed anglers to catch more fish at Crouse Reservoir, but the agency expects that bodies of water across southern Utah are most likely to have these types of impacts this year.

As for catching and releasing species, division experts recommend that anglers fish closer to dawn or dusk, when the temperatures are cooler. They also recommend that people release the fish in a deeper part of the pond, lake or reservoir they were caught in because the water is often cooler there, and they’re more likely to survive.

“Basically, try not to fish near little coves that have shallow, stagnant warm water,” Hedrick said.

The division urges anglers to take other steps to decrease stress. These include:

• Use single hooks on lures and bend down their barbs for easy release.
• Limit as much time fighting a fish while reeling it in, as well as time handling the fish. Use rubber or coated nylon nets to protect a fish’s slime layer and fins.
• Use forceps or needle-nosed pliers to remove a hook quickly. Don’t pull on the line if the fish is deeply hooked. Instead, cut the line as close to the hook as possible.
• Allow the fish to recover in the net before releasing it.
• Gently move a finish back and forth if it doesn’t stay upright when you release it. Consider harvesting it if it doesn’t, but only if it’s within the legal daily limit for that species.