Big Lake in Wayne County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Wayne County in Utah is where Big Lake sits. It stands 10,912 feet above sea level. At 14 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It is among the larger waters listed here for Wayne County. Nearest town is Monroe, 52 miles off. The big place round here is Provo, 147 miles distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Big Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Public occurrence data for Wayne County names Arctic grayling, bluehead sucker, flannelmouth sucker, brook trout and rainbow trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Take Big Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 54°F and January about 17°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. After late May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Average temperatures cross freezing around late May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Big Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Noon Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Big Lake for certain.