Season:

Even though our summer and fall fishing seasons tend to be the most popular, our winters are not to be missed. Because our season is all year long, there is a very diverse range of fishing opportunities, from casting large dry flies in summer to technical nymph fishing in the winter season. Some seasonal highlights include the rainbow and cutthroat spawn in the spring, and the brown and brook spawn in the fall. In each of these shoulder seasons, you can experience great streamer fishing and catch large fish that do not usually expose themselves in the summer.

Species:

Rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, and cutthroat.

Region/Terrain:

Utah is home to some of the most diverse fly-fishing opportunities in the United States. From high alpine lakes and streams, cottonwood lined subalpine valleys all way to the gorgeous red rock desert, anglers looking to cast flies to trout have a lot to choose from. Boasting a year-round season, there is never a bad time to chase trout on one of many locations throughout the state. Whether your preferred style is casting large terrestrials or minuscule mayflies, monster streamers, or dredging nymphs, opportunities abound.

The Lower Provo flows out of Deer Creek Reservoir through the steep-walled Provo River canyon. This stretch of the river generally boasts larger fish, as well as a healthy population of rainbow trout. The spring Baetis hatch is hard to beat on this stretch. Once the summertime flows start, the fishing can get difficult as the river picks up speed as well as depth. Catching the fish isn’t the issue; it’s keeping them on. The only downside to this stretch of river is that regulations allow for non-motorized boating, which can be awesome if fishing from a raft, but miserable if wade fishing due to the ever-present “tube hatch” during the warmer months.

The Middle Provo River leaves the Jordanelle reservoir and winds through an idyllic cottonwood lined valley flanked to the west by the Wasatch mountains and the imposing Mt. Timpanogas to the South. Early summer hatches of green drakes can be prolific, and even the most novice of dry-fly anglers can expect to land a handful of fish. Due to this stretch of the river having the closest proximity to the outlying metropolis, and it being 100% public, it is one of the busiest stretches of river in the state. Being as busy as the river is, most anglers have success fishing heavily weighted nymph rigs; however, the dedicated dry fly angler will usually be successful.

The Middle Weber River has the best access along the system, with a series of fisherman’s ladders and gates as well as Walk-in Access points or WIA. To fish WIA points, the angler will need to update their fishing license online to receive a free WIA number. The state wants to keep track of use, so please sign in while fishing these areas. The Middle Weber is home to some legendary brown trout as well as a smattering of cutthroat and rainbows. Expect to fish PMDs, yellow sallies, hoppers, and of course, caddis. During the Mother’s Day caddis hatch on the Middle Weber be sure to wear a buff to avoid chomping on some caddis candy throughout the duration of the hatch.

Typical Weather:

Weather in the mountains is always changing, but below are the typical expectations:

Spring: Can be a mix between cold evenings and cold days to sunny and 60 degrees F. We sometimes see occasional snow and rain, as well.

Summer: Absolutely gorgeous in the mountains of Utah. Days can see highs in the 60s-90s F and evenings are pleasant and cool with the lows in the high 30s to mid 40s.

Fall: The best weather of the year, in our opinion. The Utah high country will start seeing cooler nights and beautiful vistas with the leaves changing. Highs for the days are in the 60s and 70s F and lows are typically in the 30s at night.

Winter: Usually full-bore around here with a lot of SNOW. Snow means good year-round water, so we are always happy to see it. Highs during the day can be in the teens to the 30s F and lows can be...well, cold.

You can find all pricing information at: www.wasatchguideservice.com