Conditions Right Now
Your Loadout 🎣 Stock Up on Gear
Tackle + Bait Slots
Cat kit: 2/0 circle hooks + liver after dark.
Why Fish Here
This one comes with park hours attached, because the pond sits inside the county park built around the old fort site. That matters more than it sounds: Utah's community fishery rule says these waters are open to fishing only while the park itself is open to the public. Stocking follows the standard state rotation, rainbows every couple of weeks in spring and fall and channel catfish several times through the summer. Two fish a day is the limit.
How To Fish It
Best rigs: Bobber + worm
Bait and lures: Worms, PowerBait
Best time: Evenings. Season: All year
Local tip: Fish inside a historic 1846 fort site on the Weber River bottoms.
Species Playbook
Rainbow Trout
Rig: Slip-bobber or sliding sinker rig, 4 lb mono line, size 8-10 baitholder
Bait: PowerBait (rainbow/garlic), nightcrawler, small spinners (Panther Martin, Jake's)
When: Early morning & last 2 hours before dark
Utah's #1 fish. If a pond got stocked this week, cast anything shiny. Perfect first fish for kids.
Channel Catfish
Rig: Carolina/sliding-sinker rig on bottom, circle hook
Bait: Nightcrawlers, chicken liver, hot dogs, stink bait, carp meat
When: Evening into night; hot summer nights are best
Utah Lake is a catfish factory - 30-fish nights happen.
Bluegill & Sunfish
Rig: Worm under a small bobber, size 10 hook - that's it
Bait: Worms, mealworms, tiny jigs
When: All day long, all summer
THE kid fish. Pelican Lake grows bluegill the size of dinner plates.
Getting There + Nearby
Nearby adventures: Glassmans Pond (Ogden) (Fishing, 2 mi) · Waterfall Canyon (Hike, 3 mi) · Anderson Cove Campground (Camping, 6 mi) · Pineview Reservoir (Fishing, 7 mi)
Quick Answers
- What fish are in Fort Buenaventura Pond?
- Rainbow Trout, Channel Catfish, Bluegill & Sunfish.
- What is the best bait at Fort Buenaventura Pond?
- Worms, PowerBait
- When is the best time to fish Fort Buenaventura Pond?
- Evenings. Season: All year.
- Why fish Fort Buenaventura Pond?
- Because you get a genuinely managed fishery and a walk past reconstructed 1840s cabins in the same hour. The pond is small and the bank is easy, which suits short trips with young kids. Check the park's hours before you drive over, since fishing is allowed only while the park is open.