Medicine Lakes Fishing Guide, San Juan County, Utah

• Overview

  This water sits in San Juan County, Utah. The water sits 10,030 feet up. You can fish the entire water from one spot if you pick it well. Our San Juan County list holds plenty of bigger water. For supplies, Moab is 20 miles out. Monticello is 38 miles away, with Blanding at 56 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Medicine Lakes

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Open biodiversity records for San Juan County list rainbow trout, brook trout and green sunfish. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. On Medicine Lakes the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 23°F and July at about 64°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. Averages place the thaw at mid April and the freeze at early December. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Plan around that when you fish Medicine Lakes.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Mapping shows parking within 110 yards. Toilets are 120 yards away, which matters on a long session. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Beaver Lake at 1 mile is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Medicine Lakes before loading the car.