Big Elk Lake Fishing near Kamas, Utah

• Overview

  Big Elk Lake is a Wasatch County water, Utah side. It lies 10,033 feet above sea level. Roughly 32 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. On our Wasatch County list it sits near the top for size. Kamas is the closest town at 12 miles. The big place round here is Provo, 44 miles distant. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Big Elk Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. County-wide records name brown trout, rainbow trout, brook trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Fish Big Elk Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 19°F in December up to 56°F in July. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near late May. On average, late May opens the water and mid November closes it again. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Anyone fishing Big Elk Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, South Erickson Lake is 0.8 miles distant. Nothing here settles the position at Big Elk Lake for certain.