Share your catch

Deer Creek Reservoir Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

Provo Canyon's blue anchor: walleye and smallmouth over clean rock, rainbow trolling lanes and Timpanogos filling the windshield.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
80 / 82 F
Wind
SW 20 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

2/5Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Deer Creek Reservoir sits in the sweet spot of the season: active fish and workable weather. Today brings clear skies, wind SW around 20 mph, rising pressure near 1006 hPa and a high of 82. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

WalleyeGood

Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pikeGood

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Yellow perchFair

Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

Tomorrow: Similar at 82 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp80 F
High / Low82 / 60 F
WindSW 20-29 mph
Pressure1005.8 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 1%
Sunrise / Sunset06:56 / 19:53
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Clear, 82/60 F, wind 20 mph, rain 1%

Fair or better. A 20 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Deer Creek Reservoir: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Walleye illustration

Walleye

Best: May-Jun, Oct

The glass-eyed prize of northern lakes. Low light, wind-blown structure and live bait. Jig and minnow on rock reefs and points; the evening bite on wind-blown shores is the one to plan around.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Good most of the year

The great lakes and northern panfish staple. Schools tight to bottom; where you catch one there are fifty. Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

When to come: the Deer Creek Reservoir calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Walleye
Smallmouth bass
Northern pike
Yellow perch
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Deer Creek Reservoir today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

2/5 Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing. Walleye led the card at good. High of 80 F, wind to 17 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 79 F, wind to 21 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Walleye led the card at good. High of 77 F, wind to 16 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Utah requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Utah license. Walleye 10/day (encouraged); smallmouth liberal: check DWR.

Access

Deer Creek SP main and Island ramps; Charleston and Wallsburg bay accesses.

About this water

2,965 acres on the Provo River, Wasatch County, UT. The Wasatch Front's walleye-and-bronze canyon lake.

Fishing Deer Creek Reservoir: the full guide

The canyon reservoir

Deer Creek pools the Provo River beneath Mount Timpanogos: Wasatch Front water twenty minutes from Provo, ringed by state-park ramps and the canyon highway. The fishery balances four programs: walleye on the rocky structure, smallmouth everywhere, trolled rainbows, and the perch schools that feed them all: a complete Utah lake in postcard packaging.

Walleye and bronze on the rock

The dam-area rock and Charleston flats hold the walleye rotation: jigs at ice-out along the riprap, bottom bouncers over 15-25 ft through summer, blades in fall. Smallmouth own every gravel slide (Neds and tubes: 100-fish summer days for the systematic): and the clear water pushes both bites to morning and chop.

Troll lanes and perch buckets

Rainbow trolling runs the mid-lake lanes (pop gear and worms, spoons on leadcore as the thermocline drops): the island and Wallsburg arms concentrate. Winter caps the upper end most years: perch through the ice (the family staple) with rainbows mixed: the Wallsburg bay village is a Wasatch tradition.

Front-range practicalities

The state park runs both ramps (Island and main): the Provo's blue-ribbon tailwater begins below the dam: pair the day. Afternoon canyon winds are guaranteed: sailboarders celebrate, anglers plan mornings. Quagga inspections apply at launch: arrive clean-drained-dry like everywhere in Utah now.

Common questions

What is the best bite on Deer Creek?

Smallmouth for numbers (every rock slide, all summer), walleye for the table at dawn on the rock. The clear water makes low light and wind your allies.

Does Deer Creek connect to the Provo River fishery?

Directly: the blue-ribbon middle Provo flows in, the famous lower Provo tailwater flows out below the dam. Lake mornings and river evenings make the canyon's perfect double.

Is fishing good at Deer Creek Reservoir right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Slow. Work for them. Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Nearby waters

Jordanelle Reservoir14 miProvo River17 miStrawberry Reservoir25 miStrawberry River40 miScofield Reservoir47 miStarvation Reservoir56 mi
Share your catch