Lofty Lake in Summit County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Summit County, Utah. Height above sea level is 10,837 feet. Surface area runs to about 3 acres — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Summit County list. Kamas at 21 miles is the nearest place to stop. Oakley is 21 miles and Francis 22 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lofty Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Summit County include brown trout, rainbow trout and cutthroat trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Lofty Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 54°F, with December the cold end at about 18°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. The lid usually goes in early June, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Ice clears near early June and comes back about mid November in a typical year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. The season on Lofty Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. There is a jetty half a mile off, worth knowing on a busy day. Overnight stays are possible 0.9 miles away. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. If the gate is shut, Kamas Lake at 0.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Lofty Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.