Paul Lake, Utah: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  The Uintah County entry here is Paul Lake, in Utah. Height above sea level is 10,614 feet. About 11 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Maeser is the closest town at 24 miles. Provo is the closest city, 96 miles away. Water in the same corner: Little Elk Lake the better part of 0.4 miles, Johnson Lake 1.6 miles away, Kibah Lakes the better part of 1.6 miles and Dead Lake 2 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Paul Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Uintah County cover rainbow trout, channel catfish and common carp. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Read Paul Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 18°F in December and 53°F in July. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early June. Averages place the thaw at early June and the freeze at mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Anyone fishing Paul Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Little Elk Lake, 0.4 miles away. For Paul Lake in particular, ask before you travel.