Teds Lake in Uintah County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  The Uintah County end of Utah holds Teds Lake. Height above sea level is 10,341 feet. Small at around 14 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Head to Maeser, 28 miles away, for anything you forgot. After that come Vernal at 32 miles and Roosevelt at 32 miles. Neighbouring water: Saucer Lake at about 0.6 miles, Sand Lake roughly 0.7 miles, Workman Lake at about 0.9 miles, Dollar Lake roughly 1.1 miles and Wooley Lakes at about 1.2 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Teds Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Survey and observation records for Uintah County include rainbow trout, channel catfish and common carp. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Teds Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between December at about 17°F and July at about 52°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Break-up comes around early June, and the run that follows is short and strong. Ice usually gives way near early June, and forms again about early November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. On Teds Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. 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. Some banks are open only from a marked point. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Saucer Lake is 0.6 miles distant. Ask locally about Teds Lake if anything is unclear.