Fishing McPheters Lake in Summit County, Utah

• Overview

  Look for McPheters Lake in the Summit County part of Utah. The land about it is mixed forest. The water covers some 27 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. It is among the larger waters listed here for Summit County. Kamas is the closest place, 24 miles off. Oakley follows at 25 miles, then Francis at 25 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on McPheters Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Fish documented in Summit County include brown trout, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, brook trout and Utah sucker. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. McPheters Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give July about 53°F and December about 17°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Winter locks it down, and early June brings it back. Ice clears near early June and comes back about early November in a typical year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Anyone fishing McPheters Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Ryder Lake is 0.5 miles off. Confirm before you fish McPheters Lake.