Why Target Them
Brown trout are the fish that make Utah rivers worth fishing in the dark. Their state record, 33 pounds 10 ounces and 40 inches out of Flaming Gorge in 1977, is the largest trout ever recorded in Utah apart from lake trout. They also get warier as they get bigger, which is why fall, low light and overcast days do most of the work. On the Green River below the dam the limit is 3 trout, and everything from 15 to 22 inches goes back.
How To Catch Them
Where: Provo, Weber, Logan, Green rivers; Deer Creek, Rockport
Go-to rig: Fly: sow bug/zebra midge under indicator; Spin: single-hook Rapala or spinner
Best bait and lures: Flies (sow bugs, streamers), Rapalas, worms after rain
Best time: Dawn, dusk, and overcast days; fall (spawn season) fires them up
Wary and smart. Downsize line to 4 lb fluoro on clear days.
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Tackle + Bait Slots
Also works: Rapalas · worms after rain
The river kit: 5-weight, indicator, and a box of small bugs.
Where To Catch Them (22 waters)
Flaming Gorge Reservoir · Jordanelle Reservoir · Deer Creek Reservoir · Rockport Reservoir · Echo Reservoir · East Canyon Reservoir · Porcupine Reservoir · Provo River (Middle) · Provo River (Lower) · Weber River · Green River (Section A) · Logan River · Blacksmith Fork River · Strawberry River · Currant Creek · American Fork Creek · Duchesne River · Lower Fish Creek · Sevier River (Upper) · Baker Reservoir · Settlement Canyon Reservoir · Logan River 1st-3rd Dams
Quick Answers
- How do you catch Brown Trout in Utah?
- Go-to rig: Fly: sow bug/zebra midge under indicator; Spin: single-hook Rapala or spinner Best bait: Flies (sow bugs, streamers), Rapalas, worms after rain
- Where can I catch Brown Trout in Utah?
- Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Jordanelle Reservoir, Deer Creek Reservoir, Rockport Reservoir, Echo Reservoir, East Canyon Reservoir, Porcupine Reservoir, Provo River (Middle).
- When do Brown Trout bite best?
- Dawn, dusk, and overcast days; fall (spawn season) fires them up
- Why fish for Brown Trout in Utah?
- Because a big brown is the hardest trout in Utah to fool and the most satisfying to land. They hold in the same rivers all year and get territorial in autumn. Utah stocks them, but they also count against the statewide combined limit of 4 trout, so check the water-specific rules before you keep any.