Fishing at Rainbow Lake, Summit County, Utah

• Overview

  The Summit County entry here is Rainbow Lake, in Utah. The surface lies 9,938 feet up. It covers about 22 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Few waters listed in Summit County are bigger. 25 miles away sits Kamas, the nearest town. Francis is 26 miles away, with Oakley at 27 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Rainbow Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Public occurrence data for Summit County names brown trout, rainbow trout, cutthroat trout and brook trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Rainbow Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 55°F, the coldest about 18°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Break-up comes around early June, and the run that follows is short and strong. The open-water window runs from around early June to about mid November in an average year. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. The season on Rainbow Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Range Lake, 0.3 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Rainbow Lake for certain.