Ice fishing in Utah

31 lakes and reservoirs that reliably freeze, with typical ice windows, what to fish for, and a live conditions page for each.

Utah's ice season runs roughly December through March, elevation deciding the calendar: the high reservoirs on the Wasatch Plateau and in the Uintas cap first and hold ice longest, the Wasatch Front reservoirs get a January-to-February window, and the big shallow lakes on the valley floor freeze only in cold years. The fishing is some of the year's best — perch by the bucket at Fish Lake, cutthroat cruising the shallows at Strawberry, tiger trout at Scofield, splake at Joes Valley, burbot after dark at Flaming Gorge — and it needs little gear beyond an auger, a short rod, and a handful of small jigs.

Safety first

Four inches of clear ice for foot travel, more for machines; drill test holes as you walk out; stay away from inlets, outlets, springs, and pressure ridges; carry ice picks and a rope; and treat early-December and March ice as suspect. Reservoirs with winter drawdowns (Deer Creek, Echo, Jordanelle) can have ice that's shelved and hollow near shore. The water pages below show the current water temperature and storage trend, which is the best early warning that a lake is freezing — or thawing.

Where to ice fish

Water	Typical ice	Species	Notes
Strawberry Reservoir · Wasatch Co.	late Dec – Mar	cutthroat, rainbow, kokanee	The state's #1 ice destination. Soldier Creek arm, Chicken Creek, and the bays off Strawberry Bay in 8–25 ft. Ice-fishing tournaments most winters.
Scofield Reservoir · Carbon Co.	Dec – Mar	tiger trout, cutthroat, rainbow	Dependable early ice and big tiger trout; a jig tipped with chub meat or a nightcrawler in 10–20 ft along the west shore.
Fish Lake · Sevier Co.	Jan – Mar	yellow perch, splake, lake trout, rainbow	Utah's best ice perch fishing — tiny jigs on bottom in 20–40 ft — with splake and mackinaw through the same holes.
Panguitch Lake · Garfield Co.	Dec – Mar	rainbow, cutthroat, tiger trout	Southern Utah's ice headquarters, 8,200 ft; hosts a popular ice derby. Jigs tipped with meal worms in 10–25 ft.
Flaming Gorge Reservoir · Daggett Co.	Jan – Feb (canyon arms)	lake trout, rainbow, burbot, kokanee	Burbot at night on glow jigs is the specialty; lake-trout pups by day. Ice varies by arm — Sheep Creek, Antelope Flat, Lucerne area.
Jordanelle Reservoir · Wasatch Co.	Jan – Feb	perch, rainbow, brown, smallmouth	Rock Cliff arm freezes first. Perch and rainbows; ice can be marginal near the Hailstone end in warm winters.
Deer Creek Reservoir · Wasatch Co.	Jan – Feb	perch, rainbow, walleye	The Wallsburg arm perch bite draws crowds; the main body ice is less reliable. Check the temperature chart on the water page.
Rockport Reservoir · Summit Co.	Dec – Feb	perch, rainbow, smallmouth	Reliable, close to Salt Lake, easy shore access from the state park. Perch on small jigs in 15–30 ft.
Echo Reservoir · Summit Co.	Jan – Feb	perch, rainbow, smallmouth	Low and drawn down in winter, which concentrates the perch. Ice can be thin near the inlet.
East Canyon Reservoir · Morgan Co.	Dec – Feb	rainbow, kokanee, smallmouth	Heavily stocked rainbows, easy drive from Salt Lake, state park access.
Hyrum Reservoir · Cache Co.	Dec – Feb	perch, rainbow, bluegill	Cache Valley's family ice spot — small, shallow, freezes early. Perch and stocked rainbows.
Mantua Reservoir · Box Elder Co.	Dec – Feb	perch, bluegill, largemouth, rainbow	Shallow and weedy; freezes early; a bluegill-and-perch panfish lake through the ice near Brigham City.
Pineview Reservoir · Weber Co.	Jan – Feb	perch, crappie, bluegill, tiger muskie	Panfish through the ice in the coves; ice is less predictable at 4,900 ft — verify before walking out.
Causey Reservoir · Weber Co.	Jan – Feb	kokanee, cutthroat, tiger trout	Steep canyon reservoir above Pineview; kokanee through the ice is the draw when it caps.
Lost Creek Reservoir · Morgan Co.	Dec – Feb	cutthroat, rainbow, kokanee	Quiet Morgan County reservoir; cutthroat through the ice and few people.
Yuba Reservoir (Sevier Bridge) · Juab Co.	Jan – Feb	perch, northern pike, walleye, rainbow	Perch by the bucket through the ice from the Painted Rocks and Oasis areas, with pike as the bonus. Low elevation — watch ice thickness.
Starvation Reservoir · Duchesne Co.	Dec – Feb	walleye, perch, rainbow, smallmouth	One of the few Utah waters to ice-fish for walleye; jig minnows on the rocky points.
Otter Creek Reservoir · Piute Co.	Dec – Feb	rainbow, cutthroat	Fat rainbows through the ice in 10–20 ft; remote and quiet.
Piute Reservoir · Piute Co.	Dec – Feb	rainbow, smallmouth	Sevier valley reservoir south of Otter Creek; rainbows through the ice when levels allow.
Koosharem Reservoir · Sevier Co.	Dec – Feb	rainbow, tiger trout	Small, shallow, freezes early; tiger trout and rainbows in a few feet of water.
Joes Valley Reservoir · Emery Co.	Dec – Mar	splake, cutthroat, tiger trout	High Emery County reservoir known for big splake through the ice; a winter derby most years.
Huntington Reservoir · Sanpete Co.	Dec – Mar	tiger trout, cutthroat	Skyline Drive-area reservoir, 9,000 ft — access depends on snow; big tiger trout.
Electric Lake · Emery Co.	Dec – Mar	cutthroat, tiger trout	High and cold on Huntington Canyon; excellent tiger trout when the road is open.
Cleveland Reservoir · Emery Co.	Dec – Mar	tiger trout, cutthroat, rainbow	Next to Huntington on the Skyline; a small-lake sleeper for tiger trout.
Millsite Reservoir · Emery Co.	Jan – Feb	rainbow, cutthroat, tiger trout	Ferron-area state park reservoir; ice is reliable most years.
Steinaker Reservoir · Uintah Co.	Jan – Feb	rainbow, largemouth, bluegill	Vernal's state-park reservoir; rainbows through the ice in the coves.
Red Fleet Reservoir · Uintah Co.	Jan – Feb	rainbow, largemouth, bluegill	Red-rock reservoir north of Vernal; ice in cold winters, rainbows and bluegill.
Moon Lake · Duchesne Co.	Jan – Mar	splake, kokanee, rainbow, cutthroat	North of Mountain Home in the Uintas; splake through the ice when the road is passable.
Navajo Lake · Kane Co.	Jan – Mar	rainbow, splake, brook trout	9,000 ft on Cedar Mountain — snowmobile or ski access; splake and rainbows in a spectacular setting.
Kolob Reservoir · Washington Co.	Jan – Feb	rainbow, cutthroat	Above Zion at 8,000 ft; road access is the question — big trout when you can get there.
Utah Lake · Utah Co.	Jan (cold winters only)	white bass, perch, walleye	Shallow and huge, so the ice is a gamble; in a cold January the harbors produce white bass and perch through the ice.

What works through the ice

Small is the rule. Trout: a 1/16–1/8 oz jig or a small spoon tipped with a nightcrawler, wax worm, or a piece of chub, fished 1–3 feet off bottom in 8–25 feet, with a slow lift and pause. Perch: the tiniest ice jigs and flies tipped with a wax worm or perch eye, dead on the bottom; find the school with a flasher and stay on it. Lake trout and splake: heavier tube jigs and spoons in 40–90 feet with a lot of lift. Burbot: glow jigs after dark on rocky points. Set a second rod under a tip-up with a minnow or a dead bait — Utah's two-pole allowance applies on the ice.

Frequently asked

When does ice fishing start in Utah?

High reservoirs like Strawberry, Scofield, Fish Lake, and Panguitch typically cap in December and fish through March; mid-elevation reservoirs like Jordanelle, Deer Creek, Rockport, and Echo usually have safe ice from January into February; low-elevation waters like Utah Lake and Willard Bay freeze only in cold winters. Ice-out runs from March at low elevation to late April or May up high.

What is the best ice fishing lake in Utah?

Strawberry Reservoir is the most popular for cutthroat and rainbows, Fish Lake for yellow perch and splake, Scofield for tiger trout, Panguitch for southern Utah, and Flaming Gorge for lake trout and burbot. Most host winter derbies.

How thick does ice need to be to fish in Utah?

The standard guidance is at least 4 inches of clear, solid ice for walking, 5–7 inches for snowmobiles or ATVs, and 8–12 inches for a small vehicle — and Utah reservoirs with inflows, springs, or fluctuating levels can have thin spots next to thick ice. Drill test holes as you go, avoid inlets and pressure ridges, and never trust early or late-season ice.

Do you need a special license to ice fish in Utah?

No — a standard Utah fishing license covers ice fishing, and the two-pole allowance applies. Standard limits and each water's special regulations apply through the ice exactly as in summer.