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Panguitch Lake Fishing Report

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

Southern Utah's trout bowl at 8,400 feet: rainbows fattened on scuds, a cutthroat comeback, and ice fishing framed by red-rock country.

1/5
Tough. Pick your battles.Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.
Water temp
~54 F est.
Air / High
68 / 70 F
Wind
SSW 24 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.

1/5Tough. Pick your battles.Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.

Panguitch Lake is in transition: bait on the move and predators following. Today brings clear skies, wind SSW around 24 mph, rising pressure near 1008 hPa and a high of 70. Water sits around 54 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

Rainbow troutFair

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown troutFair

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 70 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.

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp68 F
High / Low70 / 48 F
WindSSW 24-33 mph
Pressure1007.7 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 2%
Sunrise / Sunset07:03 / 19:55
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 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, 70/48 F, wind 24 mph, rain 2%

Slow. Wind at 24 mph makes boat control the day's real problem; find protected banks.

Species guide

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

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Panguitch 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
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 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 Panguitch Lake 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. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 69 F, wind to 20 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

2/5 Slow. The wind owns today. 26 mph gusts make boat control the real battle. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 68 F, wind to 26 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 63 F, wind to 18 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 license. Cutthroat slot: release mid-size, keep small/large per current DWR sign. Rainbows: standard harvest.

Access

South and west public ramps, resort marinas, winter ice access at the plowed lots.

About this water

1,250 acres at 8,400 ft, Garfield County, UT. The high trout lake of Bryce country.

Fishing Panguitch Lake: the full guide

High water in red-rock country

Panguitch sits improbably: an 8,400-ft trout lake twenty minutes from Bryce Canyon's tourists. Cold springs and scud beds grow rainbows thick-shouldered fast; Bear Lake cutthroat (stocked as the predator solution) add trophy potential; and the ice season runs December-March under juniper hills that glow red at dawn.

The chub war, won

Utah chubs once collapsed this fishery: management answered with sterile rainbows and predatory cutthroat, and the balance holds: today's fish average 16-20 inches with cutts past 24. The lesson shapes the rules: cutthroat protected in a slot, rainbows the harvest fishery: check the sign at the ramp.

Four earnest seasons

Ice-out (April-May): the year's aggression: fish cruising banks eat anything stripped slow. Summer: mornings troll pop-gear and worms; evenings rise to midges on the flats: float tubes rule the calm. Fall: October's pre-ice feed is locals' favorite week. Winter: a genuine ice-village scene: jigs tipped with meal worms over 15-30 ft.

Basecamp logistics

The lake rings with lodges, a store and formal ramps: the west side's public campgrounds face sunrise; the resort docks rent everything. Bryce, red canyon rides and the Sevier's small-stream fishing pad the trip: Panguitch works as southern Utah's fishing basecamp, not just a stop.

Common questions

When does Panguitch Lake freeze?

Reliably by late December, fishing well through February: 15-30 ft with jigs and meal worms. The elevation makes it one of Utah's most dependable ice fisheries.

Why are some Panguitch cutthroat protected?

They are the chub control: the slot keeps the predator class working. Release the slot fish quickly: they are the reason the rainbows stay fat.

Is fishing good at Panguitch Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Tough. Pick your battles. Post-front sun and slick water make them sulk.

Nearby waters

Minersville Reservoir37 miOtter Creek Reservoir47 miFish Lake77 miColorado River82 miLake Powell108 miLake Mead144 mi
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