Barker Reservoir Fishing Guide, Garfield County, Utah

• Overview

  Barker Reservoir sits in Garfield County, out in Utah. The ground around here is rolling bush. Nearest place of any size is Panguitch, 34 miles away. It is 160 miles to Provo, the nearest city. Near neighbours include: Lower Barker Reservoir the better part of 0.3 miles, Joe Lay Reservoir sits 0.7 miles out, Flat Lake the better part of 0.7 miles, Yellow Lake sits 0.9 miles out and Blue Lake the better part of 1 mile. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Barker Reservoir

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Draw-down through summer strips the margins, so follow the water out. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Reported across Garfield County: brown trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, Arctic grayling and black-spotted cutthroat trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Barker Reservoir gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 56°F on average, January about 20°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. Expect the water usable from around early May until roughly mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. At Barker Reservoir the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. A platform or pier sits within 140 yards. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. A picnic site half a mile off makes this workable with family in tow. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Lower Barker Reservoir sits 0.3 miles off and takes the overflow. What applies at Barker Reservoir may have changed since it was mapped.