Cliff Lake, Utah: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Cliff Lake is set in Uintah County, Utah. The water sits 10,348 feet up. Surface area is around 41 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Supplies mean a trip to Maeser, 27 miles off. Provo sits 94 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Cliff Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Survey and observation records for Uintah County include rainbow trout, channel catfish and common carp. The county list is broader than any single water. Anyone new to Cliff Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 53°F, the coldest about 18°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early June. Climate figures give an open season running early June to mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Expect Cliff Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Watkins Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. For Cliff Lake in particular, ask before you travel.