Escalante vs san juan

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In my brief experience with both (2 San Juan trips and 4 Escalante trips), there is more readily available variety (walleye crappie) and bigger fish in the Escalante, but the San Juan has more fish.

Preston
 
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I think that there are fish everywhere. Both of those arms have great fishing. The Juan usually has fewer boats but I really also like the Escalante. Flip a coin you will be happy with either one.
 
The San Juan ups your game quite a bit when it comes to remoteness and the needed extra supplies, But that wasn’t your question. Personally I have found the terrain better for fishing in the San Juan and will make the extra push to get there. I also have not spent a ton of time in the escalate and as Preston has said, there are fish everywhere. Perhaps if I spent more time in the escalate I wold fish it better but knowing what is a few miles down Lake I usually drive right by. Time wise I usually spend three to four weeks in the Juan and a few days passing through the escalate so I may not be the best reference for it but I really feel the fishing is better in the Juan. Either way you are still fishing Powell so you win.

TR
 
It all depends on the time of year. There are good fish in both locations, but you will not catch me going on a fishing trip up the Escalante anytime between Memorial Day and Labor Day. There is way too much boat traffic to make it worth while. If you go there this time of year it would be awesome. You can go up the SJ on the 4th of July and you may only see a hand full of other boats. I am one of the people that can only get to the lake on the long holiday weekends so I normally head as far north as possible or up the SJ to avoid the crowds.
 
I have fished both for a lot of year's, and I all way's think about how many great spot's there must be in all of the mile's that a guy is passing by just to get to the San Juan or Escalante. I love both, but the San Juan would be my pick March to the middle of May, or from MId Oct to Now. I all way's went to the Escalante for Striper boil's in August, if you could make it there before you saw boil's some where in between.
 
KYKevin said:
I have fished both for a lot of year's, and I all way's think about how many great spot's there must be in all of the mile's that a guy is passing by just to get to the San Juan or Escalante. I love both, but the San Juan would be my pick March to the middle of May, or from MId Oct to Now. I all way's went to the Escalante for Striper boil's in August, if you could make it there before you saw boil's some where in between.
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If I am being serious for a moment, I think this is the right answer. I know several people who have HUGE success in certain parts of the lake. And because of that, that is where they almost always go. But that doesn't mean those are the ONLY or even best places to fish. The habitat can be similar all up and down the lake. Find the habitat that produces, and it doesn't matter if it is in Escalante, SJ, or GHB.

Honestly, some of the best bass fishing I have had at the lake has been around Bullfrog. That said, I don't fish it often. Maybe I just like to burn some dinosaurs. Maybe it is about getting a bit away from people. Maybe it is a combo. But the fish are all over the lake.
 
After reading the other replies it is clear that the fish are where you find them and our tendency to try and repeat our success puts us in the same spots which leaves us clueless about the areas we aren't fishing.. One person may slay em in one place one time and then next time nothing. I think it really is about liking the area you are fishing in as much as productivity, that probably is why I prefer the SJ. You can only fish one place at a time so it really is an impossible question to answer for me. All my trips start at Wahweap so the SJ is 10 miles closer than Escalante which is another factor. Someone said any place on the lake is better than not being there.
 
Hahahaha...thanks everyone for the insight...iv never been to either so i guess I’ll have to start with escalante since it is closer for me . By the end of summer i will hopefully have formed my own opinion on which area is best.
 
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