How to catch arctic grayling in Utah
A sail-finned Uinta specialty. A dry fly and a hike are all it takes at the high lakes where the DWR maintains them.
Behavior & tendencies
The sail-finned Uinta specialty: grayling school in cold, clear high lakes and rise freely — a fish that seems designed for a 3-weight and a July afternoon at 10,000 feet. Aggressive to the fly but delicate in hand.
Seasonal patterns
July through September, full stop — these are trail-access lakes locked in ice the rest of the year. Midday works fine; evening rises are better.
What they bite
Midges, mayflies, terrestrials — small insects, taken with enthusiasm.
Recommended presentations
- Small dries (Adams, Griffith's Gnat, size 14–18)
- Tiny unweighted nymphs when they won't commit to the surface
- Micro-spinners on ultralight gear where flies aren't an option
arctic grayling by region
13 waters holding arctic grayling
Sorted by how they’re fishing right now.
- Washington Lake — Mirror Lake HwyPrime
- Bess Lake — Boulder Top NorthFair
- Blind Lake — Boulder Mtn North SlopeFair
- Crater Lake — Boulder Top SouthFair
- Dean Lake — Mirror Lake HwyFair
- Emerald Lake — Wasatch PlateauFair
- Puffer Lake — Tushar MtnsFair
- Raft Lake — Boulder Top NorthFair
- Round Lake — Boulder Mtn North SlopeFair
- Silver Lake Flat Reservoir — American Fork CynFair
- Blue Lake — Wasatch PlateauFair
- Bert Lake
- Pleasant Creek Lake — Boulder Top South