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Big Sand Wash Reservoir: ★★★★
Water temperature ranges from 65-69 degrees during the day and water levels are at 62%. Walleye fishing has been fantastic this week with anglers able to catch limits in a few hours. Walleye are eating small minnows and have moved into the shallow areas to feed. Find points and back bays with sandy/muddy bottoms. Use a light to medium action rod with a 1/8- or 1/16-ounce jig head tipped with half of a nightcrawler. When casting from shore, slowly crawl the jig across the bottom. Anglers also report using curly tail jigs, swim baits and crank baits near the bottom and having success for walleye. Evenings seem to produce the best walleye bites at this time. The reservoir currently has an overabundance of small walleye in the system. Biologists are encouraging the selective harvest of walleye in the 10 to 15 inch range at this time. (June 30, 2022)
East Park Reservoir: ★★★★
East Park Reservoir is approximately 60% full. The main launch ramp is open and good for launching small boats. Fishing this past week has been good to great. Anglers report catching both rainbow and brook trout from shore. Try using a bottom-rigged set up with half of a nightcrawler. You can also add a salmon egg or a marshmallow to the nightcrawler set up. Boat anglers have been having success trolling small spinner and casting spoons. Fly anglers report good fishing in the evening using mayflies, mosquitoes or ant pattern. You can also rig up a hopper with dropper (midges, sowbugs or other hatching insect patterns). (June 30, 2022)
Flaming Gorge Reservoir (Blue Ribbon): ★★★
Surface temperatures are in the upper 60s. Following bypass releases from Flaming Gorge Dam, the reservoir has dropped 3 feet to the current elevation of 6,014 feet. All boat launches are open but the cut-through in Sheep Creek is impassable.
Lake trout: Recent fishing reports indicate that lake trout fishing success has been good to excellent on the north end near Buckboard. Catchable rainbow trout were recently stocked at launch ramps around the reservoir. Lake trout fishing has been good in these areas as they prey on the newly stocked fish. This offers a good opportunity for both shore and boat anglers to find concentrations of aggressive lake trout. This time of year, these fish can be found in both shallow and deep water, with anglers catching fish in the 35–90 foot range. Good lures to try are jigging spoons (such as Northland Buckshots or Crippled Herrings), jigging raps, blade baits like Berkley Vibratos and 3.5-inch tube jigs in 1/4- to 3/8-ounce weight and tipped with sucker or chub meat. White and chartreuse are good colors to start with. Trolling crankbaits, swim baits and dodger or squid combos in shallow water behind planer boards can work well for active fish. If trolling, watch for concentrations of fish on your fish finder and when located, try vertically jigging for them. Please help the resource by harvesting some of the overabundant lake trout under 25 inches. This size class of fish makes exceptional table fare.
Kokanee salmon: Fishing has been spotty due to low kokanee abundance but when anglers find them success has been fair. Recent reports indicate fish are being caught at 20 to 50 feet, trolling with downriggers rigged with small spoons or dodgers rigged with either spinners or squids. Pink and orange colors have been best.
Rainbow and cutthroat trout: The spawn is coming to an end, and fishing has slowed around the launch ramps, but fish are still being caught throughout the reservoir. We recommend fishing in 10 to 20 feet of water using lures like spinners, spoons, jigs, bobbers and worms, PowerBait and streamer patterns. Some cicadas have been hatching — and trout are targeting them — which may offer fly anglers a unique and exciting experience. Look for rising fish on warm days on the downwind side of shorelines.
Smallmouth bass: Now that the water has warmed, smallmouth bass are getting more active. Recent reports indicate good success using jerkbaits like X-raps in pink or rainbow trout colors, but also soft plastics like Ned rigs, drop shot worms and curly tailed jigs in earth tones. Remember: The limit in Utah is three fish and catch-and-release only in Wyoming. In Utah, please minimize harvest of the larger bass as they're older, slow-growing fish.
Burbot: There haven't been many angling reports, but those that are catching burbot are vertically jigging in water up to 65 feet in depth. The best time period to target burbot is at night. Anglers should fish rocky points and shorelines using glow-in-the-dark lures like Yamamoto grubs, Radical Glow tubes and Northland Buckshot spoons. Tip the lure with sucker or chub meat, recharge glow frequently and jig or deadstick the presentation a couple of inches from the bottom. Good locations to try include the reach of the reservoir between Brinegar Ferry Crossing down to the Pipeline. Please remember all burbot must be killed. (June 14, 2022)
Green River Below Flaming Gorge Dam (Blue Ribbon): ★★★
Following the spring high-flow release, flows currently range from 850 cubic feet per second in the morning to 1,900 cfs in the late afternoon. Water temperature is about 49 degrees near the dam. Fishing access is good and angler pressure has been high near Little Hole. Catch rates continue to be decent if anglers are willing to adapt and move away from other anglers. Terrestrials are also getting more active and cicadas have been common on warm days. Nymph fishing is always successful this time of year and streamer fishing continues to be good, specifically for bigger fish. (June 15, 2022)
Moon Lake: ★★★
Moon Lake is 74% full and holding this week. Our biologists sampled Moon Lake on June 7 and saw some good-looking tiger trout and splake. The reservoir has an extremely abundant forage base of mountain sucker, mountain whitefish and small kokanee salmon. Predator species include tiger trout, splake trout, brook trout and rainbow trout.
Overall the reservoir is hard to access by boat. The main launching area is currently in poor condition. Flooding that occurred after the East Fork Fire has created some significant washout on the boat sides of the launch area. Only small watercraft launching is recommended for the foreseeable future. Anglers can fish from shore, use small kayaks and tubes, or opt to rent a small boat from the Moon Lake Resort. Anglers can be most successful if they target inflow areas of the lake (Lake Fork River, Brown Duck and Fish Creek). Large tiger trout and splake trout are feeding heavily on mountain sucker right now. Use large bait imitating these forage fish and try fishing evenings and early mornings. The reservoir will continue to see irrigation drawdowns throughout the summer and experience very low levels by October. (June 21, 2022)
Old Fort Ponds: ★★★
Old Fort Ponds is up and running again. The pipeline to fill the ponds has been completed and the big pond is currently 100% full. Some fish did survive the prolonged low water in the big pond. We recently stocked a small batch of channel catfish and a small batch of catchable rainbow trout. Species you could catch in the big pond include: bluegill, largemouth bass, tiger muskie, channel catfish and rainbow trout.
The small pond is filling but will not be restocked with fish for about a month. The bentonite treatment needs to settle out and begin working. DWR staff will be monitoring water quality in the small pond for the next month. Once we restock, we will update the information on the Fish Utah interactive map and in this fishing report. Fish are able to get into the small pond from the big pond via the creek under the bridge. Please pick up your trash and help keep this WMA clean. Also respect the neighborhood, drive slowly and heed the nightly closures at the WMA. (June 22, 2022)
Red Fleet Reservoir: ★★★
Red Fleet is still open to the public for angling until around July 15 when construction is set to begin. At that time the entire park will be closed and no launching from the main ramp will be allowed. Small craft may still be able to launch from other locations. Fishing for wiper has been good this past week. They are most active in the mornings and evenings and move into deeper water during the day. Water levels are still very low, with only one side of the main ramp open to launching. DWR staff recently conducted an electrofishing survey. Information will be posted after the survey is complete and the data analyzed. (June 21, 2022)
Spirit Lake: ★★★
The road, campground and lodge are open. The lake is murky due to runoff but recent angling reports indicate good success for tiger trout using flashy lures like Mepps spinners. (June 14, 2022)
Starvation Reservoir (Blue Ribbon): ★★★★
The reservoir is 84% full. Water temperature ranges from 65 to 70 degrees. Anglers report good fishing for rainbow trout using traditional methods (trolling from boat and bait from shore). Smallmouth bass fishing has picked up this past week with anglers finding this species in typical rocky habitat with some fish moving into more shallow areas to stage for spawning. Walleye fishing has slowed down this past week. There are intense bug hatches going on right now in many areas of Starvation Reservoir. This has caused the crank bait bite to slow down and the jig/night crawler bite to pick up. Fish are finicky, but will bite! Target walleye on the edges of weed lines in 10 to 20 feet of water.
We are still encouraging anglers to target and harvest smaller walleye in this system. Recruitment and survival of small walleye in Starvation Reservoir has been exceptional over the past few years. Forage is still a limiting factor for walleye growth in Starvation Reservoir. Harvest of small walleye from 10 to 16 inches in total length is encouraged at this time. Fish this size range from 2 to 5 years old and we are seeing a "stacking" effect at age three for walleye in this system.
Walleye can be difficult to catch if you are not familiar with the habitat and bathymetry of this reservoir. Traditionally, Starvation Reservoir is a morning-time fishery as higher winds typically dominate the afternoon hours and make fishing difficult. Trolling crankbaits, bottom bouncer rigs and jigging off bottom structure will pay off if you can locate the fish. You can also target walleye at night as they feed in shallow areas once nightfall occurs. Moon phases and barometric pressure will affect these fish and the bite. Please visit Starvation State Park main page for the most up to date reservoir conditions.
Note: The DWR walleye tagging and population estimate is now complete. Any orange-tagged walleye caught can simply be harvested or released with no reporting needed. Thank you to all the anglers who reported tags back to us. Our population estimate for walleye was significantly higher than five years ago (2016= 13,100 walleye lake-wide and 2021= 21,557 walleye lake-wide). There is an overabundance of small walleye in this system right now. Current regulations allow for harvest of 10 walleye with only one being over 24 inches long. Please consider helping this fishery by using selective harvest for fish 10-16 inches long. (June 30, 2022)
Seasonal forecasts
Big Sand Wash Reservoir:
Summer fishing forecast (July through August): Walleye are abundant throughout the reservoir and can be found from shoreline to 75 feet of water. Recent sampling showed walleye ranging from 6 to 27 inches. Smaller walleye are most abundant and similar to Starvation Reservoir. Anglers are encouraged to target and harvest smaller walleye. This is a forage-limited system, and harvest is needed to keep the fishery in balance. The best time to target walleye is morning and evenings. Traditional walleye techniques will work here; look for them on cobble rocks and in deeper water on structure. Trout are cruising the shorelines and back bays looking for terrestrial bugs, sow bugs and midges. Smallmouth bass can be found along the dams and in the boulder rock structures. Yellow perch numbers are down, but a few can still be found in deeper waters. This is a "Fishing with the Fox" contest location for 2022. Look for a blue tag if you catch a fish at this reservoir.
What to do if you catch a tagged fish: Tags can be registered and turned in for verification until August 7, 11:59 p.m. You must have possession of the physical blue tag to win. You can catch and keep trout with the tag or choose to release any tagged trout you catch. If you choose catch-and-release fishing, please swiftly pull or clip the tag from the trout, then release it. Register for the contest (required) on our Eventbrite page and enter your contest registration information and tag number; once registered for the contest, you'll be prompted to print out or download the "tagged fish registration ticket," which must accompany all tags submitted. Turn in your registration ticket and the physical blue tag for verification, which you can mail in to the DWR Vernal office or drop off at select Uintah Basin locations. See our Eventbrite for contest rules and details! If you do not have a printer, call the Vernal DWR office at 435-781-9453 or visit during office hours and staff will assist you. All tags registered are automatically entered for the "Alive After Five" grand finale prize drawing! The prize drawing will occur on Thursday, August 11, 2022, from 5-8 p.m. at the Uintah County Library park (204 E. 100 North, Vernal). You must be present to win or register an alternative person to represent you at the grand prize drawing. All Utah fishing rules and regulations apply throughout the contest. Thank you to participating sponsors: Basin Sports, B & D RV, Heritage Ford, Patriot Marine & Diesel, Stewart's Marketplace/Ace Hardware and The Fox 98.5 FM radio station. (June 30, 2022)
Browne Lake:
Summer fishing forecast (July through August): This water is stocked with 10-inch rainbow trout in addition to fingerling brook and rainbow trout that carry over from year to year. Anglers may catch fish up to 18 inches but most will be 10-14 inches. Shore angling is the main technique anglers use although small boats can be launched near the dam. Typical trout angling methods usually work well, including spinners, spoons, fly presentations, worm-and-bobber combinations and PowerBait. Water temperatures typically remain cool enough during the summer that shore angling is effective. There is decent shore access around the reservoir if anglers are willing to hike, and ample parking near the dam, close to shore. (June 14, 2022)
East Park Reservoir:
Summer fishing forecast (July through August): This is a "Fishing with the Fox" contest location for 2022. Look for a blue tag if you catch a fish at this reservoir.
What to do if you catch a tagged fish: Tags can be registered and turned in for verification until August 7, 11:59 p.m. You must have possession of the physical blue tag to win. You can catch and keep trout with the tag or choose to release any tagged trout you catch. If you choose catch-and-release fishing, please swiftly pull or clip the tag from the trout, then release it. Register for the contest (required) on our Eventbrite page and enter your contest registration information and tag number; once registered for the contest, you'll be prompted to print out or download the "tagged fish registration ticket," which must accompany all tags submitted. Turn in your registration ticket and the physical blue tag for verification, which you can mail in to the DWR Vernal office or drop off at select Uintah Basin locations. See our Eventbrite for contest rules and details! If you do not have a printer, call the Vernal DWR office at 435-781-9453 or visit during office hours and staff will assist you. All tags registered are automatically entered for the "Alive After Five" grand finale prize drawing! The prize drawing will occur on Thursday, August 11, 2022, from 5-8 p.m. at the Uintah County Library park (204 E. 100 North, Vernal). You must be present to win or register an alternative person to represent you at the grand prize drawing. All Utah fishing rules and regulations apply throughout the contest. Thank you to participating sponsors: Basin Sports, B & D RV, Heritage Ford, Patriot Marine & Diesel, Stewart's Marketplace/Ace Hardware and The Fox 98.5 FM radio station. (June 30, 2022)
Green River Below Flaming Gorge Dam (Blue Ribbon):
Summer fishing forecast (June through August): Angling and recreational use increases once school is out between June and early September. Crowds are lower early and late in the day, even on weekends. Expect stonefly and caddis hatches to increase later in the summer. Terrestrial patterns like cicadas, hoppers, crickets and ants can be good throughout the summer. Unscented marabou and tube jigs in earth tones, white/chartreuse and ginger are good options. Rainbow or brown trout-patterned crankbaits, spinners and spoons can also work well. Pinch down the barbs for a quick release and please use good handling and release techniques on this mostly catch-and-release fishery. Find more information on the current river flows and temperatures here. (June 15, 2022)
Long Park Reservoir, North Slope:
Summer fishing forecast (July through August): This water is normally stocked with 3-inch grayling, brook and rainbow trout that grow into catchable sizes when fish carry over from year to year. Anglers may catch fish up to 20 inches but most will be 10-14 inches. Shore angling is the main technique anglers use here although a concrete ramp provides access for small boats down to fairly low water levels. Shoreline access is good to most of the reservoir but will require a hike if anglers want to access remote areas. Typical trout angling methods usually work well. These methods include spinners, spoons, fly presentations, worm-and-bobber combos and PowerBait presentations. Water temperatures typically remain cool enough during the summer that shore angling is effective. This water usually has good catch rates for all species. (June 06, 2022)
Moose Pond:
Summer fishing forecast (July through August): Shore angling access is good with a path around the entire pond. Anglers catch stocked rainbow trout using typical fishing presentations such as spoons, spinners, fly-and-bubble, worm-and-bobber, PowerBait and fly presentations. The water is only about 5 feet deep. This is a good location to take children or mobility-limited anglers due to good access and amenities. (June 06, 2022)
Spirit Lake:
Summer fishing forecast (July through August): This water is normally stocked with 10-inch tiger trout and 6-inch cutthroat trout once access roads are open. Anglers may catch fish up to 15 inches, but most will be 10 to 12 inches. Shore angling is the main technique anglers use here, although small watercraft can be launched over the rough and rocky ramp. Shoreline access is good for most of the reservoir, but will require a hike if anglers want to access all areas. Typical trout angling methods work well here. These methods include spinners, spoons, fly presentations, worm-and-bobber combos and PowerBait presentations. Water temperatures remain cool enough for effective shore angling during the summer. (June 14, 2022)
The Fish Utah website offers an in-depth, interactive map that will help you find a place to fish near you! You can also rate waters based on your most recent fishing trips. Your ratings will help us improve the management of Utah's fisheries. Visit Fish Utah to plan your next trip or leave a rating.
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