Fertile, warm-water fisheries fill lush northern valleys, eastern basins and red rock landscapes of Southern Utah. Cool streams and wild rivers descend from snowcapped mountains, feeding shimmering lakes or pausing in reservoirs where trout reach trophy proportions. Utah is a land known for sandstone icons and The Greatest Snow on Earth, yet throughout the year anglers gear up in pursuit of experiences equaled only by their passion.
In fact, Utah has more than 1,000 fishable lakes and countless fishing streams. A short walk from downtown Ogden, Utah, is a popular urban fishery while residents of the Provo-Orem metropolitan area have one of the state’s finest tailwater fisheries flowing virtually into their backyard. You’ll find stunning waterways near national parks and crystal-clear rivers teaming with fish. To help you find your new favorite fishing hole, Utah adopted Blue Ribbon designations, which identify fisheries of an extremely high quality. Sure, some are popular destinations for both proximity and potential. These rivers and lakes trace the canyons and higher elevations of the Wasatch Front, within minutes of the population corridor. Examples include the Ogden, Weber and Provo rivers or Deer Creek and Pineview reservoirs. But there’s also Blue Ribbon fishing cradled by wilderness and wildness — serene and solitary landscapes where the bustle of the city is far out of sight and further out of mind — places free from stress save for threat of a break off; places shared terrestrially only with the midges and caddis, or whatever hatch is currently luring the fish out to dine.
Species range from the popular native cutthroat trout to large mackinaw and brown trout, as well as kokanee salmon, striped bass, walleye, perch, bluegill, whitefish, tiger musky, channel catfish the Bonneville cisco and more. Catch and release is widely practiced, but in most cases harvest is both accepted and encouraged, with some size and quantity limitations. For up-to-date regulations and information both statewide and for specific waters, please consult the latest Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Utah Fishing Guide.
6 Places You Have To Fish in Utah
1 . Provo River/Deer Creek Reservoir (Northern Utah)
Utah’s “home water” is also one of the country’s top tailwater fisheries. Both the Middle and Lower Provo maintain a healthy stream-flow year round, enabling consistent dry fly, nymph and streamer fishing opportunities for brown and rainbow trout. Deer Creek Reservoir sits between the Middle and Lower Provo River stretches and features some of the state’s largest walleye.
Weber RIver2 CREDIT Bloodknots
2. Strawberry Reservoir (Central Utah)
Trout anglers come from surrounding states to experience the quality of fishing found at this productive fishery. Efforts to create a trophy-type cutthroat water are paying off with reports 8-pound fish shared throughout the year. Rainbow trout also find Strawberry fruitful and grow fast. While fishing from shore can be productive, the best success is typically while fishing from a boat. Fishing is particularly good when the ice is receding in the spring and in the fall when the water cools and the big trout enter the shallows to feed on forage fish.
3. Green River/Flaming Gorge (Northeastern Utah)
If you are keeping a fly-fishing bucket list, the Utah section of the Green River should be in your top three “must fish” locations. The river’s 27-mile course is a riparian oasis that descends into Utah from the north slope of the Uinta Mountains, slicing through the high desert sandstone of the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. You can also pursue a trophy trout or kokanee salmon on Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
Fly Fishing near Capitol Reef National Park - UOT
Fishing on the Green River below Flaming Gorge 2 - UOT
4. Mirror Lake/High Uintas (Northern Utah)
In truth, there are hundreds of lakes and several streams and drainages in Utah’s highest mountain range, the east to west oriented Uintas. These high-elevation lakes maintain an ideal temperature for trout feeding throughout the summer. Many top spots are accessed right off the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway, including its namesake Mirror Lake. Hike in a bit for increased solitude and pristine fisheries.
Uinta Lakes2 CREDIT Bloodknots
5. Fish Lake (Southern Utah)
Fish Lake, Utah’s largest natural mountain lake, lies in a down-faulted valley at an elevation of 8,843 feet. The 5.5-mile-long lake is one of the most popular fishing resorts in the state, especially on summer weekends. It is well known for trophy lake trout that often exceed 20 pounds. Access via the picturesque alpine and high-desert Fishlake Scenic Byway and explore nearby Johnson Valley Reservoir and Fremont River.
6. Boulder Mountain (Southern Utah)
On Boulder Mountain, which sprawls over an expansive 50,000 acres and is the highest timbered plateau in North America, you’ll have your choice of more than 80 lakes and ponds. Many can be accessed via well-maintained dirt and gravel roads or a short hike and are filled with hungry fish, typically brook trout, but you might also angle for rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, tiger trout, splake, and grayling.
Flyfishing in the Uinta Mountains
Pro Tip
A wide range of species provide anglers many options ranging from native cutthroat trout fond of dry flies to trophy lake trout pulled from the depths to toothy tiger musky that scare some of the anglers who catch them. Some anglers pick a single fishery for the sole purpose of being able to catch several new species they can cross of their life list.
In fact, Utah has more than 1,000 fishable lakes and countless fishing streams. A short walk from downtown Ogden, Utah, is a popular urban fishery while residents of the Provo-Orem metropolitan area have one of the state’s finest tailwater fisheries flowing virtually into their backyard. You’ll find stunning waterways near national parks and crystal-clear rivers teaming with fish. To help you find your new favorite fishing hole, Utah adopted Blue Ribbon designations, which identify fisheries of an extremely high quality. Sure, some are popular destinations for both proximity and potential. These rivers and lakes trace the canyons and higher elevations of the Wasatch Front, within minutes of the population corridor. Examples include the Ogden, Weber and Provo rivers or Deer Creek and Pineview reservoirs. But there’s also Blue Ribbon fishing cradled by wilderness and wildness — serene and solitary landscapes where the bustle of the city is far out of sight and further out of mind — places free from stress save for threat of a break off; places shared terrestrially only with the midges and caddis, or whatever hatch is currently luring the fish out to dine.
Species range from the popular native cutthroat trout to large mackinaw and brown trout, as well as kokanee salmon, striped bass, walleye, perch, bluegill, whitefish, tiger musky, channel catfish the Bonneville cisco and more. Catch and release is widely practiced, but in most cases harvest is both accepted and encouraged, with some size and quantity limitations. For up-to-date regulations and information both statewide and for specific waters, please consult the latest Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Utah Fishing Guide.
6 Places You Have To Fish in Utah
1 . Provo River/Deer Creek Reservoir (Northern Utah)
Utah’s “home water” is also one of the country’s top tailwater fisheries. Both the Middle and Lower Provo maintain a healthy stream-flow year round, enabling consistent dry fly, nymph and streamer fishing opportunities for brown and rainbow trout. Deer Creek Reservoir sits between the Middle and Lower Provo River stretches and features some of the state’s largest walleye.
Weber RIver2 CREDIT Bloodknots
2. Strawberry Reservoir (Central Utah)
Trout anglers come from surrounding states to experience the quality of fishing found at this productive fishery. Efforts to create a trophy-type cutthroat water are paying off with reports 8-pound fish shared throughout the year. Rainbow trout also find Strawberry fruitful and grow fast. While fishing from shore can be productive, the best success is typically while fishing from a boat. Fishing is particularly good when the ice is receding in the spring and in the fall when the water cools and the big trout enter the shallows to feed on forage fish.
3. Green River/Flaming Gorge (Northeastern Utah)
If you are keeping a fly-fishing bucket list, the Utah section of the Green River should be in your top three “must fish” locations. The river’s 27-mile course is a riparian oasis that descends into Utah from the north slope of the Uinta Mountains, slicing through the high desert sandstone of the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. You can also pursue a trophy trout or kokanee salmon on Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
Fly Fishing near Capitol Reef National Park - UOT
Fishing on the Green River below Flaming Gorge 2 - UOT
4. Mirror Lake/High Uintas (Northern Utah)
In truth, there are hundreds of lakes and several streams and drainages in Utah’s highest mountain range, the east to west oriented Uintas. These high-elevation lakes maintain an ideal temperature for trout feeding throughout the summer. Many top spots are accessed right off the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway, including its namesake Mirror Lake. Hike in a bit for increased solitude and pristine fisheries.
Uinta Lakes2 CREDIT Bloodknots
5. Fish Lake (Southern Utah)
Fish Lake, Utah’s largest natural mountain lake, lies in a down-faulted valley at an elevation of 8,843 feet. The 5.5-mile-long lake is one of the most popular fishing resorts in the state, especially on summer weekends. It is well known for trophy lake trout that often exceed 20 pounds. Access via the picturesque alpine and high-desert Fishlake Scenic Byway and explore nearby Johnson Valley Reservoir and Fremont River.
6. Boulder Mountain (Southern Utah)
On Boulder Mountain, which sprawls over an expansive 50,000 acres and is the highest timbered plateau in North America, you’ll have your choice of more than 80 lakes and ponds. Many can be accessed via well-maintained dirt and gravel roads or a short hike and are filled with hungry fish, typically brook trout, but you might also angle for rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, tiger trout, splake, and grayling.
Flyfishing in the Uinta Mountains
Pro Tip
A wide range of species provide anglers many options ranging from native cutthroat trout fond of dry flies to trophy lake trout pulled from the depths to toothy tiger musky that scare some of the anglers who catch them. Some anglers pick a single fishery for the sole purpose of being able to catch several new species they can cross of their life list.
