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Fish Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Oct 23, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

A natural, fault-formed lake at nearly 9,000 feet in the Fishlake National Forest, managed by Utah DWR for lake trout, splake, kokanee and perch.

2/5
Slow. Work for them.Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.
Water temp
~47 F est.
Air / High
40 / 41 F
Wind
SW 12 mph

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

Satellite view
Friday
23
October 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.

Fish Lake is in its winter mode: slow, deep and deliberate. Today brings clear skies, wind SW around 12 mph, rising pressure near 1014 hPa and a high of 41. Water sits around 47 F for the season (estimated). With the waxing gibbous, the solunar majors run 10:05 AM-12:05 PM and 10:34 PM-12:34 AM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutExcellent

In cold water rainbows use the deepest pools in rivers (Vermont), so slow, deep drifts there are the usual approach; Michigan DNR notes lake rainbows are also taken with bait or by jigging through the ice.

Brown troutExcellent

Below 50°F, fish slowly through the deeper pools; in early spring on the Great Lakes, Michigan DNR notes browns are often caught inshore before other species start biting.

Brook troutExcellent

Below 50°F is the fall spawning band (40-50°F in Vermont), so stay off spawning gravel. In winter Maine IFW finds pond fish close to shore in 4 to 12 feet of water under the ice.

Yellow perchGood

Ice season. Perch stay active under the ice in both shallow and deeper water, so small jigs or spoons tipped with live bait over known winter areas are the usual approach.

Lake troutGood

Winter: Vermont says most of its lake trout fishing is done through the ice, and Michigan anglers jig spoons tipped with cut bait in deep Great Lakes bays.

Tomorrow: Similar at 40 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Oct 24, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Before you go

Utah requires a fishing licence from age 12, from $40.00 for residents. What a Utah licence costs and where to buy it →

Chasing rainbow trout here? Check the size and bag limits with UDWR before you keep anything. The season dates for Utah, read off the agency, are on the Utah seasons page.

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.

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~47 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp40 F
High / Low41 / 32 F
WindSW 12-15 mph
Pressure1014.2 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain16% cloud, 32%
Sunrise / Sunset07:44 / 18:37
MoonWaxing Gibbous, 91%
Water temp (seasonal)~47 F est.

Bite planner

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

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunset

Which day to fish Fish Lake this week

The best day on Fish Lake this week looks like Saturday Oct 24, at 3 out of 5, against 2 today.

Best day this week: Saturday, Oct 24 — fair at 3/5, rising pressure behind a front, typically the slowest.

Today, Oct 23 — Tough

Conditions favor short windows and patient fishing.

Solunar majors
10:05 AM-12:05 PM and 10:34 PM-12:34 AM
Minor period
4:29 AM-5:29 AM
Sun
07:44 to 18:37
Moon
Waxing Gibbous, 91% lit
Sky and wind
Overcast, 19 mph
Rain chance
32%

Forecast-based scores, less reliable further out: how the score is built.

Species guide

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

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Spring and fall in most lakes; rivers fish year-round while the water stays cool

A cold-water trout native to Pacific drainages from Alaska to Baja California, now stocked in most states and fished in rivers, tailwaters and lakes. In cold water rainbows use the deepest pools in rivers (Vermont), so slow, deep drifts there are the usual approach; Michigan DNR notes lake rainbows are also taken with bait or by jigging through the ice.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Spring along Great Lakes shorelines; low light and overcast days in rivers; fall spawning runs

A European trout first stocked in the US in 1883 and now fished in rivers and lakes nationwide; it tolerates warmer water than other trout, and mature stream fish feed mostly at night. Below 50°F, fish slowly through the deeper pools; in early spring on the Great Lakes, Michigan DNR notes browns are often caught inshore before other species start biting.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Caught all year, including under the ice through winter

Yellow perch are schooling panfish of the Great Lakes and northern lakes, and Michigan DNR calls them the game fish most often caught in that state. Ice season. Perch stay active under the ice in both shallow and deeper water, so small jigs or spoons tipped with live bait over known winter areas are the usual approach.

Brook trout illustration

Brook trout

Spring and fall in ponds and lakes, when fish come shallow; summer in the coldest headwater streams

The brook trout is a char native to eastern North America, a fish of cold, clean streams and ponds, and the state fish of Michigan. Below 50°F is the fall spawning band (40-50°F in Vermont), so stay off spawning gravel. In winter Maine IFW finds pond fish close to shore in 4 to 12 feet of water under the ice.

Lake trout illustration

Lake trout

Spring and fall in shallow water, deep in summer, and through the ice in winter

Lake trout are slow-growing chars of large, deep, cold lakes, native from Alaska and northern Canada to New England and the Great Lakes, and introduced in many western lakes. Winter: Vermont says most of its lake trout fishing is done through the ice, and Michigan anglers jig spoons tipped with cut bait in deep Great Lakes bays.

When to come: the Fish Lake 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
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
Yellow perch
Brook trout
Lake trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 47 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovOct, ~47 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 Fish Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Oct 22

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 46 F, wind to 13 mph.

Wed, Oct 21

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 44 F, wind to 8 mph.

Tue, Oct 20

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at excellent. High of 51 F, wind to 10 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
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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 fishing license. DWR allows unlimited harvest of yellow perch at Fish Lake, lets anglers discard perch and use them as bait here, and keeps Twin Creek closed all year. See the current Utah Fishing Guidebook for trout, splake, kokanee and lake trout limits.

Access

Utah Highway 25, kept open in winter by the Fishlake National Forest, UDOT and Fish Lake Resorts (DWR). No boats until the ice is fully off.

About this water

A natural, fault-formed lake at nearly 9,000 feet in the Fishlake National Forest, Sevier County, Utah; average depth 55 feet, maximum 117 feet.

Fishing Fish Lake: the full guide

A deep mountain lake

Utah DWR describes Fish Lake as a natural lake created by fault lines, at nearly 9,000 feet in the Fishlake National Forest southeast of Richfield. It averages 55 feet deep and reaches 117 feet. The southeast shore, at the base of Mytoge Mountain, drops off steeply, while the northwest shore slopes gently before falling away.

A managed food web

Yellow perch, illegally introduced in the 1970s, multiplied once Eurasian watermilfoil formed a weed band at 4 to 20 feet, and they compete with stocked rainbows and Utah chubs. With fewer chubs, lake trout turned to eating rainbows and fewer of them reached large sizes. A 2014 management plan added kokanee in 2015 as forage and pushed for more perch harvest. DWR stocks rainbow trout, splake and kokanee every year and brown and tiger trout every few years; lake trout and perch reproduce naturally. Its 2026 stocking table for Fish Lake records kokanee in March, rainbow trout, splake, tiger and brown trout through the summer, and smaller plants of brook trout, cutthroat and cutbows.

Ice fishing

DWR says winter fishing pressure usually exceeds summer pressure. Safe ice tends to form around New Year's, later in mild winters, and lasts through March, and Utah Highway 25 is kept open through the winter. Perch and small rainbows and splake sit along the weedline at 10 to 20 feet, the biggest perch concentrations are at the north and south ends, and lake trout are taken on the bottom at 60 to 100 feet with large jigs tipped with cut bait.

Open water

The shallow northwest shore and thick weeds limit bank fishing; after ice-out anglers gather near the Twin Creek inlet, where deep water comes close to shore. Twin Creek itself is closed to fishing all year. Boats are not allowed on the lake until all the ice is gone; after that, DWR suggests jigging for splake outside the weedlines at 25 to 60 feet and trolling for rainbows, kokanee and lake trout.

Common questions

Can I keep all the perch I catch?

Yes. DWR allows unlimited perch harvest at Fish Lake and asks anglers who do not want small perch to kill them and return them to the water.

When is the ice safe?

DWR says safe ice usually forms around New Year's, or mid to late January in mild winters, and lasts through March. Check conditions yourself before going out.

Why were kokanee added?

DWR stocked kokanee from 2015 as forage for lake trout, which had been eating stocked rainbows after perch crowded out Utah chubs.

Is fishing good at Fish Lake 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

Otter Creek Reservoir31 miMinersville Reservoir65 miHuntington Creek67 miPanguitch Lake77 miScofield Reservoir90 miLake Powell107 mi

Where this page's numbers come from

Weather and pressure
Open-Meteo forecast model
Queried at 38.5500, -111.7200 in this water's own timezone. A model, not an observation.
Moon and solunar windows
Calculated on this site
Astronomical calculation from these coordinates and the date, not a third-party feed. How much weight it deserves.
Pages checked
The facts in the written guide were checked against these pages, from the agencies and operators that manage the water, on October 5, 2026. Anything we could not verify was taken out.
The written guide on this page
Pablo Ruiz Quintero
How this page was made. The daily report is computed by our scoring engine from live readings; nobody types it. The written text was drafted with AI assistance from the official pages listed above, and its facts were checked against those pages by automated verification on October 5, 2026; anything that could not be verified was taken out. Pablo Ruiz Quintero sets every guideline, the data-verification system and the minimum standards a page must meet to be published, reviews page structure and approves what goes live; the responsibility is his, and the AI carries out the work. We work this way because it is how one person can keep every page current with named sources. Errors are published in the verification log; the full policy is in the editorial policy.

Readings refresh on a 30-minute window. The full method, with every figure and its source, is on how our reports are made. Something wrong here? Tell us and it goes in the log with the date.