Utah increases fishing limits at these 7 bodies of water affected by drought, construction

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah is increasing fishing limits at more bodies of water across the state ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, as water levels continue to drop from drought or will be lost to construction.

Riley Peck, director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, signed an order on Thursday increasing the daily limit of fish anglers can catch at seven different ponds and reservoirs. Each order will remain in place throughout the rest of the summer, or until the end of the year in some cases.

“We want anglers to be able to harvest additional fish at these seven waterbodies, so they can be used and not wasted,” he said in a statement. “We hope anglers can prioritize fishing at these waterbodies because increased harvest has proven successful for increasing the survival of the remaining fish in many of these fisheries in the past.”

Drought accounts for some of the bodies of water included in the order. Utah’s reservoir system is currently at 64% capacity, down from 79% last July, after a record-low snowpack led to less water flowing into reservoirs this spring.

Some reservoirs are in worse shape than others, which led to state wildlife officials ordering fishing limit increases at three more of them:

• Minersville Reservoir (Beaver County): Up to four trout of any size can now be caught every day through Oct. 1. Bait is still not allowed despite the emergency change.
• Otter Creek Reservoir (Sanpete County): The daily limit is now 16 trout of any species, as well as six wipers, through Oct. 1.  
• Vernon Reservoir (Tooele County): Anglers can now catch up to eight trout of any species. The changes remain in place through Oct. 1.

All three reservoirs will also be open to spearfishing for all sportfish through the end of the order. They join a few other reservoirs where the division already increased fishing limits over lower water levels this year, including Crouse and Nine Mile reservoirs in Uintah and Sanpete counties.

State wildlife officials often order daily fishing limit increases when reservoirs shrink because it can stress fish species used to cold water, like trout, Trina Hedrick, sportfish coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, explained earlier this year.

“Fishing may not be the same this year in some areas,” she said in May. “Fish may be found in different locations throughout a waterbody than usual, and especially later in the season.”

Four construction projects will also lead to lower water levels because they call for ponds or reservoirs to be mostly drained, which led to additional fish limit increases.

• Canyon View Park Pond (Utah County): The pond will be drained this summer to deepen and dredge it. There’s no longer a limit for any species of fish in it through Oct. 1.
• Palisade Reservoir (Sanpete County): Dam and maintenance repairs will result in it being drained. There’s no longer a limit for any species of fish in it through Oct. 1.
• Pineview Reservoir (Weber County): The reservoir will be drawn down for the construction of a new drinking water pipeline for Ogden City. The new daily fishing limit is a combined total of 12 largemouth bass or smallmouth bass, and one tiger muskie over 40 inches. There are no limits for all other species. It lasts through the end of 2026.
• Red Creek Reservoir (Duchesne County): The reservoir is also being drained for a dam construction project. The daily fish limit is now eight trout of any species, and the reservoir will be open to spearfishing for all sportfish, which also lasts through the end of the year.