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Tackle + Bait Slots
Why Fish Here
Few reservoirs anywhere put a petrified forest at the top of the trail from the campground. The Petrified Forest Trail is a one-mile loop the park rates moderate to strenuous, with a three-quarter-mile extension called the Trail of Sleeping Rainbows off the top. The campground has 22 sites with culinary water and hot showers, and day use runs 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. year round with no gate. The park rents kayaks and paddleboards if you want to fish off the water.
How To Fish It
Best rigs: Bobber + worm
Bait and lures: Worms, PowerBait
Best time: Morning & evening. Season: March-November
Local tip: At Escalante Petrified Forest SP - fish, then hike the petrified wood loop.
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.
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.
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.
Getting There + Nearby
Nearby adventures: Escalante Petrified Forest SP (State Park, 0 mi) · Lower Calf Creek Falls (Hike, 12 mi) · Calf Creek Campground (Camping, 12 mi) · Anasazi State Park Museum (State Park, 15 mi)
Quick Answers
- What fish are in Wide Hollow Reservoir?
- Rainbow Trout, Bluegill & Sunfish, Largemouth Bass.
- What is the best bait at Wide Hollow Reservoir?
- Worms, PowerBait
- When is the best time to fish Wide Hollow Reservoir?
- Morning & evening. Season: March-November.
- Why fish Wide Hollow Reservoir?
- Wide Hollow gives you a warm-water option in a corner of Utah otherwise defined by slot canyons and dry slickrock, with bluegill and largemouth alongside the rainbows. The campground has hot showers and culinary water, which matters after a few nights out on Hole in the Rock Road.