Lake Desolation in Salt Lake County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lake Desolation is one of the Salt Lake County listings for Utah. This is rolling bush country. At 9 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Supplies mean a trip to Snyderville, 3.9 miles off. Park City is 5.5 miles and Summit Park 6 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Lake Desolation

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Salt Lake County: rainbow trout, black-spotted cutthroat trout, brown trout, common carp and bluegill. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Anyone new to Lake Desolation should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 58°F and December reads 21°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. The water is typically free of ice between early May and mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. On Lake Desolation that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Red Pine Lake is 0.7 miles distant. Confirm access to Lake Desolation locally before you travel.