Pleasant Valley Reservoir

Pleasant Valley Reservoir is a reservoir in Salt Lake County, Utah and covers about 1 acres, reaches about 10 feet at its deepest point and holds roughly 4.3 acre-feet.

Pleasant Valley Reservoir is small water, so a careful lap around the bank can show most of the useful cover. With little deep water in Pleasant Valley Reservoir, weeds, wind, and water color can matter more than depth alone.

Fish and Baits

The fish mix here is not confirmed, so check fresh local information before choosing a target or keeping a catch; use a light bait when the water is clear, then use a smaller lure in clear water.

Begin with one slow bottom presentation and one moving bait, then let bites show whether fish are holding close to cover or roaming open water; use a slow bait after the search lure, then keep a worm ready for a slower check.

How to Read the Water

Start where two things meet: weeds and open water, rock and mud, a point and a drop, or clear water and dirty water; fish that edge at more than one depth before leaving it; try the first deep shelf after the bank, then keep the bait above soft bottom.

Season by Season

Spring runoff can add color and pull fish toward fresh water; green weeds and the first drop become stronger summer targets; in fall, follow bait toward points and shallow flats, while winter rewards a slower search; cast across the break instead of along it, then use the old channel as a guide.

A Simple Tackle Plan

A medium spinning rod, 8-pound line, a small box of jigs, a few crankbaits, and a simple bottom rig cover most situations; change depth or speed before changing every piece of tackle; try firm bottom before soft silt, then keep the bait above soft bottom.

At Pleasant Valley Reservoir, record the wind, water color, productive depth, and cover after a bite; those four notes are more useful on the next trip than a long list of spots that did not produce.