Haystack Lake in Wasatch County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Haystack Lake in the Wasatch County part of Utah. The ground around here is rolling bush. This is a pocket water of some 19 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Kamas is the closest town at 16 miles. It is 47 miles to Provo, the nearest city. Close neighbours run: Beth Lake 0.3 miles off, Azure Lake at about 0.4 miles, Rock Lake 0.5 miles off, Shadow Lake at about 0.6 miles and Trident Lake 0.7 miles off. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Haystack Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Wasatch County records list brown trout, rainbow trout and brook trout among the fish reported. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. At Haystack Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 57°F and December at 19°F. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. The lid usually goes in mid May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Averages place the thaw at mid May and the freeze at mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On Haystack Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. There is recorded parking some half a mile off. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Beth Lake at 0.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Ask locally about Haystack Lake if anything is unclear.