Elkhorn Reservoir Fishing in Summit County, Utah

• Overview

  Elkhorn Reservoir lies in Summit County, Utah. Height above sea level is 8,363 feet. Surface area runs to about 16 acres — small enough to read in one session. Supplies mean a trip to Oakley, 8.6 miles off. Salt Lake City is the closest city, 34 miles away. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout. Most of the shoreline can be walked in a session.

• Where to Fish on Elkhorn Reservoir

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Species logged across Summit County include brown trout, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, brook trout and Utah sucker. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Work Elkhorn Reservoir in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 63°F; the cold one sits at 23°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid usually goes in early April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The lid tends to go about early April and return around late November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. On Elkhorn Reservoir that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Sargent Number One Reservoir at 1.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing on Elkhorn Reservoir should be assumed from this page alone.