Conditions Right Now
Your Loadout 🎣 Stock Up on Gear
Tackle + Bait Slots
Cat kit: 2/0 circle hooks + liver after dark.
Why Fish Here
Spring Lake sits in the farm country between Payson and Santaquin, and it is on the state's community fishery list, which means it gets the same hatchery rainbow deliveries as the busier Utah County ponds. The Division of Wildlife Resources stocks community waters roughly every other week through spring and fall and adds channel catfish several times over the summer, starting in June. The daily limit is two fish, though carp do not count against it. The state also asks you to release largemouth bass voluntarily, so plan on trout for dinner.
How To Fish It
Best rigs: Slip bobber + worm; small spinners for cruising trout
Bait and lures: Worms, PowerBait, liver (summer)
Best time: Morning & evening. Season: All year
Local tip: Quiet little water between Payson and Santaquin - often stocked the same weeks as Salem Pond, half the crowd.
Species Playbook
Rainbow Trout
Rig: Slip-bobber or sliding sinker rig, 4 lb line, size 8-10 baitholder hook
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.
Largemouth Bass
Rig: Texas-rigged worm near weeds; wacky rig Senko
Bait: Senkos, jigs, frogs over pads, topwater at dawn
When: Dawn topwater, evenings; pre-spawn (April-May) is prime
Look for submerged brush, tules, and shade lines.
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: (Fishing, 3 mi) · Salem Pond (Fishing, 5 mi) · Burraston Ponds (Fishing, 7 mi) · Payson Lakes Campground (Camping, 7 mi)
Quick Answers
- What fish are in Spring Lake?
- Rainbow Trout, Channel Catfish, Largemouth Bass, Bluegill & Sunfish.
- What is the best bait at Spring Lake?
- Worms, PowerBait, liver (summer)
- When is the best time to fish Spring Lake?
- Morning & evening. Season: All year.
- Why fish Spring Lake?
- You get four species out of one small water, and that mix is the real draw. Rainbow trout arrive with the state truck, while the bass, bluegill and channel catfish keep kids busy between stockings. The daily limit is two fish, so most afternoons here end up catch and release.