Freshwater · Winter best; the January spawning run at Bear Lake, fishable while the run and rules allow
Bonneville Cisco
Prosopium gemmifer
A small silvery whitefish found ONLY in Bear Lake on the Utah-Idaho border — one of four fish found nowhere else on Earth from that lake. Each January it crowds the rocky shallows to spawn, and dip-netting the run through the ice and from shore is a famous mid-winter local tradition and festival.
Seasons · Peak
Identifying features
- Small, slender, bright silvery body with no spots at all
- Pointed snout with a small, slightly upturned mouth
- Long, fine gill rakers for straining zooplankton
- Small adipose fin and a deeply forked tail
- Iridescent silver-blue back fading to a white belly
Habits
- Found only in Bear Lake — it occurs nowhere else on Earth
- Schools in deep, cold open water most of the year
- Moves into rocky shallows in January to spawn
- Feeds almost entirely on zooplankton
- Key forage fish for Bear Lake lake trout and cutthroat trout
Distribution
Where to find them
- Bear Lake's rocky east shore during the January run
- Bear Lake State Park marina and Cisco Beach areas in winter
- Deep open water of Bear Lake from a boat in summer
Where they live
How to catch them
Dip-netting the January spawning run Lake
Rig: Long-handled dip net worked through ice holes or from shore at Bear Lake during the mid-winter run, within the set season and limits
Bait/lure: No bait — fish are netted as they crowd the rocky shallows
Key tip: The run peaks on cold January mornings; check the current Utah and Idaho rules, as seasons and limits are set for this short fishery.
Small jigs and sabiki rigs in winter Boat
Rig: Light rod, sabiki-style multi-hook rig or a tiny jig tipped with a waxworm, fished vertically under the ice or from a boat
Bait/lure: Waxworms, tiny jig tails
Key tip: Keep rigs small and fish them slowly just off bottom where the schools stage before spawning.
Best baits & lures
Baseline setup
- Rod: Light 5-6 ft spinning rod or ice rod
- Line: 4-6 lb mono
- Terminal: Tiny jigs, sabiki rigs, long-handled dip net
Recommended gear for this species
Rod · Budget
6'6" light spinning rod
≈ US$50-80
Whitefish and cisco have soft mouths — a light, forgiving tip keeps small hooks pinned.
Terminal · Budget
Small jigging spoons and micro jigs (1/16-1/8 oz)
≈ US$12-20
Tiny flashy spoons jigged over deep shoals are the whitefish standard, on open water and through the ice.
Line · Budget
6 lb fluorocarbon (200 yd)
≈ US$12-18
Deep, clear, cold water and wary fish — light fluoro gets bit when heavy line won't.
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Typical size
Common 7-8 in (18-20 cm); large fish to about 8.5 in (22 cm)
On the table
Fair — small and bony with sweet flesh; many are frozen as bait for Bear Lake lake trout.
Similar species
Bear Lake WhitefishBear Lake whitefish is larger and deeper-bodied with a blunt, downturned snout for bottom feeding and faint spots on young fish; the cisco is smaller, spotless and plankton-feeding
CiscoThe widespread cisco (lake herring) lives in many northern lakes and grows larger; the Bonneville cisco exists only in Bear Lake and rarely exceeds about 8.5 inRegulations vary by area and can change in-season — always check the official rules for your area before you fish. Regulations guide →
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