Tailwater · Limestone · Utah

Middle Provo River

River Liffey (Middle / Kildare) terrain map
Terrain map

The Middle Provo is Salt Lake City and Park City's home water — the tailwater between Jordanelle and Deer Creek that everyone drives to when they've only got an afternoon.

Species

A proper day on the water

Low and clear — careful approach country. Stay small, stay accurate.

75% confidence in this read
Water temperature for brown trout
Cool — slow
9°C est.ideal 10–16°C
0°14°28°
Why this score · for brown trout
  • Temperature8228% weight
  • Flow8022% weight
  • Clarity9518% weight
  • Feeding Time5013% weight
  • Pressure807% weight
  • Insect activity6212% weight
Conditions
Level
Dry recently
No gauge reading
Water temp
9.0°C
Estimated
Clarity
Clear
Air temp
24°C
Wind
NE 12 km/h
Gentle breeze
Pressure
1013 hPa
Rain · 24h
0.0 mm
No rain
Rain · ahead
0.0 mm
No meaningful rain · next 48h

Live readings — water temperature is an estimate where the gauge does not record it.

How to fish it · for brown trout
When
Nymphing can work through most of the day.
Where
Cover mixed depths.
Method
Start with tight-line nymphs and adjust if fish rise or drift higher.
Kit
9 ft #4 rod, floating line, 12 ft tapered leader to 4–5 lb fluoro tippet.
Why this works
Good — water clarity is right today, though time of day could be better.
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
Freshwater ShrimpHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Western Blue-Winged OliveHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Pale Morning DunHatch
2
3
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Open all year
  • Verify current UDWR gear and limit rules
  • Access is largely public via the restoration-corridor easements, but confirm public access points before promoting any reach
  • Flow tracks Jordanelle/Deer Creek releases.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
About this water

The Middle Provo is Salt Lake City and Park City's home water — the tailwater between Jordanelle and Deer Creek that everyone drives to when they've only got an afternoon. It got rebuilt, literally: a stream-restoration project put the meanders and riffles back, and the brown and rainbow trout responded by getting fat and numerous. It's a public-access tailwater with stable releases and a reliable bug calendar — Baetis and midges in the cool months, PMDs and caddis through summer. Technical enough to keep you honest, forgiving enough to be a good day's fishing even when you're rusty. Crowded on weekends; that's the price of being this good and this close to the city.

Under the surface

The Middle Provo runs between Jordanelle and Deer Creek reservoirs in the Heber Valley, an hour from Salt Lake, and it is the rare tailwater that has been actively rebuilt — a restoration project gave it back its meanders, its riffles and its gravel after decades as a straightened ditch, and the brown and rainbow trout responded by stacking up in numbers. It's a medium, accessible tailwater over rounded cobble and gravel, winding through ranch land under the Wasatch with the steady flow a dam provides and the bug life — blue-winged olives, the famous green drakes — a lake-fed river grows. The bed is clean cobble, the lies in the riffle drop-offs and seams. Wading is comfortable on firm footing. It is busy, being close to the city, but it fishes far better than its modest size and easy access would lead you to expect.

Wading: Busy water, otherwise easy footing

  • Limestone
  • Unconfined
  • Pool riffle
  • Meandering
Seasons & zones
  • Trout1 January → 31 December
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