Bonneville whitefish
One of Bear Lake's endemic fishes, which moves to rocky shorelines to spawn.
Utah DWR lists the Bonneville whitefish among four fish found nowhere else in the world, all in Bear Lake. A 2007 USU paper counts 13 fish species in the lake, four of them endemic.
A 2006 study of seasonal distribution found Bonneville whitefish mostly in shallow water, 5 to 30 meters, while the related Bear Lake whitefish dominated deeper water, 45 to 55 meters. The shallow fish ate mainly midge larvae and other bottom invertebrates.
DWR's fisheries biologist writes that the spawning run starts around Thanksgiving and lasts into mid-December, drawing the fish to rocky shorelines. Anglers can fish from shore, boats and, when the lake freezes, through the ice. Always check the current fishing guidebook for rules.
How to recognize it
Slender silvery whitefish; DWR illustrates the Bear Lake fishes.
Watching and staying safe
Check the current Utah fishing guidebook; rules and seasons change.
Places the sources name
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