Cyclone Lake in Garfield County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Garfield County end of Utah holds Cyclone Lake. It lies 9,865 feet above sea level. It measures about 81 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Few waters listed in Garfield County are bigger. Panguitch lies 41 miles from the water. Monroe lies 50 miles off, Beaver another 54 miles. Neighbouring water: Posy Lake just 3.4 miles, Roundy Reservoir at 4.7 miles, Barney Lake just 6.2 miles, Yellow Lake at 6.6 miles and Blue Lake just 6.6 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Cyclone Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Garfield County cover brown trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, Arctic grayling and black-spotted cutthroat trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Cyclone Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 58°F in July and bottom out at 22°F in January. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. On average, early May opens the water and late November closes it again. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. It holds true on Cyclone Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Posy Lake sits 3.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position on Cyclone Lake before loading the car.