Fishing Bakeskillet Lake in Wayne County, Utah

• Overview

  Bakeskillet Lake sits in Wayne County, out in Utah. It stands 11,122 feet above sea level. About 7 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. It sits higher than most water we list in Utah. Nearest place of any size is Monroe, 48 miles away. Panguitch is 55 miles away, with Richfield at 55 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Bakeskillet Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Wayne County, recorded fish include Arctic grayling, bluehead sucker, flannelmouth sucker and brook trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Anyone new to Bakeskillet Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 54°F on average, January about 18°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. After late May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice usually gives way near late May, and forms again about mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Bakeskillet Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Elbow Lake, 1.6 miles away. Confirm before you fish Bakeskillet Lake.