Fish Lake is Utah's big natural mountain-lake answer to the Californian who has seen plenty of Sierra reservoirs and still wants something different. It sits high on the Sevier Plateau in aspen and spruce country, big enough for boats, deep enough for lake trout, and still useful to fly anglers around shorelines, weed edges and cool-water windows. It is not a delicate dry-fly river; it is a high stillwater where wind, depth, ice-off and summer stratification decide the game. For Rise Daisy it gives southern/central Utah a serious stillwater anchor alongside Boulder Mountain and Panguitch.
A respectable few hours, if you choose your moments
Useful ripple, fishable wave. Worth a session if the wind holds.
47% confidence — limited data
Live now
Conditions on the water
Trends shown where the gauge supports them
Wind
S 25 km/h
Moderate breeze
Wave
40 cm chop
Water temp
—
No reading
Air temp
21°C
Cloud
Broken
Pressure
1010 hPa
Rain · 24h
0.0 mm
No rain
Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.
How to fish · for brown trout
The brief
When · where · method · kit
How to fish it · for brown trout
When
The terrestrials are on. Dusk on the lake is prime time for surface feeding — stay out as long as light allows.
Where
Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.
Today's tactical plan
The plan
Plan A · Plan B · what to watch · bank or boat
The plan
Plan A
Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.
Plan B
If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.
Watch for
Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.
Boat — at anchor
Windy conditions suit anchoring in productive areas rather than open-water drifting.
Hatches & runs
What's on, when
Twelve months at a glance
Through the year
0–3 scale · June highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Reservoir BuzzerHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Gray DrakeHatch
2
2
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1
Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.
Today's fly · curated pack
Top pattern + the box
5 patterns from this venue's curated pack
Evidence
Why today scores what it does
The factors driving today's verdict
Why this score
- Wind conditions (windy) are not ideal for this water.
- Cloud cover (mixed) suits the fishery well.
- Temperature (moderate) is in the sweet spot for summer fishing.
- Terrestrials are in their seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
About this water · Lough note · 4 min read
About this water
Fish Lake, on the water
Field guide · contributor-editedFish Lake · about
What this water is
Background · character · contributors
About this water
Fish Lake is Utah's big natural mountain-lake answer to the Californian who has seen plenty of Sierra reservoirs and still wants something different. It sits high on the Sevier Plateau in aspen and spruce country, big enough for boats, deep enough for lake trout, and still useful to fly anglers around shorelines, weed edges and cool-water windows. It is not a delicate dry-fly river; it is a high stillwater where wind, depth, ice-off and summer stratification decide the game. For Rise Daisy it gives southern/central Utah a serious stillwater anchor alongside Boulder Mountain and Panguitch.
- Lake
- Volcanic
Fish Lake · directions
How to get to the water
Directions
Fish Lake · zones
Where the rules change
Seasons · zones · per-species rules
Seasons & zones
- Trout1 January → 31 December
Fish Lake · permits
Good to know
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
- Verify Fish Lake-specific species and harvest rules against UDWR
- Stillwater safety: wind and cold water matter.
Fish Lake · learn
Related guides
Learn-zone playbooks for this water
Related guides
Fish Lake
Google Places
Fish Lake is Utah's big natural mountain-lake answer to the Californian who has seen plenty of Sierra reservoirs and still wants something different.
Species
A respectable few hours, if you choose your moments
Useful ripple, fishable wave. Worth a session if the wind holds.
47% confidence — limited data
Conditions
Wind
S 25 km/h
Moderate breeze
Wave
40 cm chop
Water temp
—
No reading
Air temp
21°C
Cloud
Broken
Pressure
1010 hPa
Rain · 24h
0.0 mm
No rain
Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.
Condition match
72%
Cloud100%
Wind30%
Temp100%
A good match for this venue — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.
How to fish it · for brown trout
When
The terrestrials are on. Dusk on the lake is prime time for surface feeding — stay out as long as light allows.
Where
Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.
The plan
Plan A
Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.
Plan B
If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.
Watch for
Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.
Boat — at anchor
Windy conditions suit anchoring in productive areas rather than open-water drifting.
Why this score
- Wind conditions (windy) are not ideal for this water.
- Cloud cover (mixed) suits the fishery well.
- Temperature (moderate) is in the sweet spot for summer fishing.
- Terrestrials are in their seasonal window, boosting the chance of targeted feeding.
Through the year
0–3 scale · June highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Reservoir BuzzerHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
2
Gray DrakeHatch
2
2
Silverhorns & LonghornsHatch
1
2
2
2
1
Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.
Gallery · 1
Terrain map
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
- Verify Fish Lake-specific species and harvest rules against UDWR
- Stillwater safety: wind and cold water matter.
Directions
About this water
Fish Lake is Utah's big natural mountain-lake answer to the Californian who has seen plenty of Sierra reservoirs and still wants something different. It sits high on the Sevier Plateau in aspen and spruce country, big enough for boats, deep enough for lake trout, and still useful to fly anglers around shorelines, weed edges and cool-water windows. It is not a delicate dry-fly river; it is a high stillwater where wind, depth, ice-off and summer stratification decide the game. For Rise Daisy it gives southern/central Utah a serious stillwater anchor alongside Boulder Mountain and Panguitch.
- Lake
- Volcanic
Seasons & zones
- Trout1 January → 31 December
About this water · Lough note · 4 min read
Fish Lake is Utah's big natural mountain-lake answer to the Californian who has seen plenty of Sierra reservoirs and still wants something different. It sits high on the Sevier Plateau in aspen and spruce country, big enough for boats, deep enough for lake trout, and still useful to fly anglers around shorelines, weed edges and cool-water windows. It is not a delicate dry-fly river; it is a high stillwater where wind, depth, ice-off and summer stratification decide the game. For Rise Daisy it gives southern/central Utah a serious stillwater anchor alongside Boulder Mountain and Panguitch.
Fishing better nearby · 2
Related guides