Known as the “roof of Utah,” the High Uintas are the tallest mountain range in the state and are known for rugged peaks and countless lakes—most of which contain either brook trout, cutthroat trout, tiger trout, grayling, or rainbow trout. Fishing opportunities in the Uintas are abundant and diverse, ranging from hike-in lakes above treeline to float tube and shoreline fishing at drive-in access lakes. The lakes near Mirror lake Highway are by far the most popular and are managed accordingly with hatchery-bred trout being the norm. Alternatively, more remote lakes in the Uintas provide a more rugged wilderness experience, along with the opportunity to catch more wild, opportunistic trout that see minimal fishing pressure.
With the vast majority of the Uintas being split between the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache and Ashley National Forests, public access points are abundant across the range. From Kamas, the Mirror Lake Highway (SR 150) grants entry to the western half of the Uintas and is a great jumping off point to explore the near-limitless fishing opportunities within this unique mountain range. Crystal, Trial, and Mirror Lake Trailheads are all great introductions to the area and are located about 26 miles east of Kamas on SR 150. If you’re headed to the Uintas and want more information on the many stillwater fly fishing opportunities in the area, be sure to stop by the Fishwest Fly Shop in Kamas to learn more.
Due to its high elevation and lingering snowpack, the High Uintas typically aren’t accessible until June or even July during big snow years. As ice recedes from these high mountain lakes, fish are generally eager to feed before winter sets in again. This makes summer and early fall a great time to catch aggressive, opportunistic trout at high elevations.
Updated by Fishwest Guide - Travis Vernon 7.8.26
The Uintas are fishing well. There was a lot of pressure over the holiday and I noticed a large number of dead fish in the lakes I fished in. There are a lot of people up there now but you can still hike and get away.
The lakes are still producing on balanced leaches and small bead heads but I also started picking up fish on smaller sows/scuds suspended under bobbers.Some fish are now actively cruising and looking for insects along the shoreline.
Some are only eating tiny flies but you can get some dry fly spot and stalk along the edges. I did pick up some fish today (July 8th) on parachute adams and pmd emergers in 16-18 on the north slope lakes. When the sun was on the water the dry fly bite was slow but as soon as the clouds rolled in, it picked up.
Fly Selection for the Uinta Lakes is fairly vast, but the flies listed below will work at most all of our favorite backcountry stillwaters. If you are looking for recommendations for a specific lake, please talk to our staff:
Streamers: Balanced Leeches (Maroon, Olive, Black, Rust), Beadhead Wooly Buggers (Tan, Black, White, Thin Mint Bugger, Low Fat Minnow, Squirrel Leeches, Goldie, Rusty Trombone, Ebony, Silver Minnow
Nymphs: Rainbow Warriors, Frenchies, Psycho Prince, Duracell Jig, Quill Jig, Copper John, Zebra Midges, WD-40's
Dry Flies: Parachute Adams, Griffiths Gnat, Elk Hair Caddis, Stubby Chubby, Foam Humpy, Chubby Chernobyl, PMX, Stimulator, Skater Tot, Triple Double, Renegade.