Lily Pad Lake Fishing near Maeser, Utah

• Overview

  Within Uintah County, Utah, you have Lily Pad Lake. It lies 9,662 feet above sea level. The town to know is Maeser, 20 miles out. Further out sit Vernal (22 miles) and Naples (25 miles). Other water within reach: Long Park Reservoir sits 3.2 miles out, Goose Lakes out at 4 miles, Hacking Lake sits 5 miles out, Chimney Rock Lake out at 5.3 miles and Oaks Park Reservoir sits 5.7 miles out. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lily Pad Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Uintah County include rainbow trout, channel catfish, common carp, black bullhead and bluegill. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Lily Pad Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 55°F; the cold one sits at 20°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Count the season from break-up, usually mid May. Break-up sits around mid May on average, with the water closing again about mid November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Lily Pad Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing we hold confirms whether access is permitted. Overnight stays are possible about half a mile out, where camping is mapped. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. For a change of water, Long Park Reservoir is 3.2 miles distant. Rules at Lily Pad Lake are worth checking on the day.