Gates Lake Fishing near Salina, Utah

• Overview

  Gates Lake falls in Sevier County, part of Utah. It lies 9,701 feet above sea level. At 5 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Head to Salina, 16 miles away, for anything you forgot. Aurora follows at 17 miles, then Richfield at 22 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Gates Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Across Sevier County, recorded fish include yellow perch, sockeye salmon and Utah sucker. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Gates Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 22°F in January to roughly 61°F in July. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from mid April. Climate figures give an open season running mid April to late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Gates Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Parking is mapped about half a mile from the bank. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Hamilton Reservoir, 0.7 miles away. Where Gates Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.