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Why Fish Here
Vernon sits about nine miles south of the town of Vernon on unpaved road off Highway 36, which is how a small trout reservoir this close to Salt Lake still feels a long way out. The Forest Service prohibits powerboats, so it stays a float tube and car-top boat water and never gets loud. There are vault toilets and no potable water at the site, so carry everything you plan to drink. Tiger trout are the fish worth the drive.
How To Fish It
Best rigs: Slip-sinker + worm
Bait and lures: Worms, PowerBait
Best time: Morning. Season: April-October
Local tip: Remote-feeling desert trout pond in Rush Valley. The Forest Service campground and day-use area at the reservoir charges a fee; dispersed camping on the surrounding forest is free.
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.
Tiger Trout
Rig: Casting spoons or worm on slip-sinker
Bait: Jake's Spin-a-lure, Kastmaster, nightcrawlers
When: Early morning; excellent through the ice
Brown × brook hybrid - mean, striped, and hard-fighting.
Getting There + Nearby
Nearby adventures: Camp Floyd / Stagecoach Inn SP (State Park, 22 mi) · Burraston Ponds (Fishing, 30 mi) · Settlement Canyon Reservoir (Fishing, 33 mi) · Utah Lake (Fishing, 33 mi)
Quick Answers
- What fish are in Vernon Reservoir?
- Rainbow Trout, Tiger Trout.
- What is the best bait at Vernon Reservoir?
- Worms, PowerBait
- When is the best time to fish Vernon Reservoir?
- Morning. Season: April-October.
- Why fish Vernon Reservoir?
- Because you get a quiet desert trout reservoir with no powerboat traffic, since the Forest Service does not allow them. The last nine miles in are dirt and there is no drinking water at the site, so come self-sufficient. Fish it from the bank or a tube in the morning.