Wiper

About Wiper

The Wiper is a hybrid cross between a female Striped Bass and a male White Bass, and it's widely considered pound-for-pound one of the hardest-fighting freshwater fish you can catch in Utah. Wipers inherit traits from both parent species. The aggressive, schooling behavior of White Bass combines with the size potential and power of Striped Bass, which is exactly why anglers love them. They're voracious predators that travel and feed in large schools, so finding one Wiper usually means there are plenty more nearby.

One critical biological detail sets Wiper apart from almost every other fish on Utah's stocking list. Wipers are naturally sterile. They cannot reproduce in the wild, which means every single Wiper swimming in a Utah reservoir got there because the Division of Wildlife Resources put it there. That makes Wiper fisheries entirely dependent on ongoing stocking programs. There's no "self-sustaining" Wiper population anywhere in the state, but this is by design.

Average Wiper run 2 to 4 pounds in most Utah waters, though fish well into double digits are frequently caught.

History & Introduction in Utah

Wiper were introduced to Utah specifically as a management tool, not just a trophy species. Because they're sterile, aggressive predators, biologists found Wiper to be an ideal way to control problem fish populations, particularly Utah Chub.

Newcastle Reservoir became an early proving ground for this strategy, and the results were strong enough that DWR expanded Wiper stocking into several other southwestern Utah waters dealing with the same chub problem. Such waters include: Minersville, Otter Creek, and Piute reservoirs. At Otter Creek specifically, Wiper stocking began in the early 2010s and has continued with varying annual quotas as biologists work to establish a self-sustaining (through continued stocking) Wiper fishery there.

Willard Bay represents the other major chapter in Utah's Wiper story. Annual stocking has occurred there since 1992 and has turned the reservoir into one of the best Wiper fisheries in the country. 

 

State & Fishery Records

Utah's Wiper record has moved around over the years, which tells its own story about how quickly these stocking programs have paid off across different waters:

• Angler Rob Valdez set an early state record at Willard Bay in 2007.
• That record was broken in 2014 at Newcastle Reservoir, when Russell Nielson, a college track athlete who had never caught a Wiper before, landed an 11-pound, 2-ounce fish after a five-minute fight that saw the fish run 50 to 60 feet of line at a time. He noted it wasn't even the largest fish he saw in the school that day.
• The record was broken again in 2021, twice in the same year: first by Tavin Quigley at Newcastle (15 pounds, 4 ounces), then by Trevor Cooper, also at Newcastle (15 pounds, 5 ounces, 29¼ inches, with a 23⅝-inch girth).
• William Stafford set a new catch-and-keep Wiper record at Otter Creek Reservoir on April 20, 2025 — a 29½-inch fish weighing 18 pounds, 1½ ounces.

How to Fish

Trolling

Crankbaits run through 10 to 12 feet of water are consistent producers, especially along drop-offs, dikes, and submerged structure. We picked up many Wiper and Walleye on the same rigs. We have been very successful trolling rattle traps, mid water column behind inline planer board. 

Shore & Jigging

Shore anglers do very well soaking mussels, particularly where Wiper work the shoreline. Jigs in bright orange or red are another consistent producer fished either from the bank or from a boat. Because Wiper school so tightly, locating one fish, on sonar, working a visible surface school, or just hooking up, usually means you've found many more.

Fishing Regulations

Wiper limits vary by water, generally running 3 to 6 fish depending on the reservoir and current management goals. Always check the current Utah Fishing Guidebook for the specific water you're headed to.

Planning a Wiper Trip

Because Wiper populations exist entirely by design rather than natural reproduction, a good Wiper bite is really a direct reflection of how well a particular stocking program is working that year. Willard Bay remains the most consistent, well-established option for anglers, but waters like Newcastle and Otter Creek have proven that a newer stocking program can turn into a genuine trophy fishery faster than you'd expect. It's worth keeping an eye on if you're chasing a personal best.