Utah Lake

Utah Lake is a premier Utah County destination for fishing and recreation, sitting right in the heart of the valley with easy access from every direction. Public boat launches include Utah Lake State Park in Provo, the Provo Boat Harbor, Lindon Marina, American Fork Boat Harbor, Saratoga Springs City Marina, and Lincoln Beach in Spanish Fork, along with informal shore access around Sandy Beach, Saratoga Springs, and West Mountain for anglers who'd rather fish from the bank.

What makes Utah Lake special is that there's almost always something biting, no matter the season. Walleye turn on in spring, white bass fire up in late spring, and channel catfish carry the action through the heat of summer — with largemouth bass and black crappie rounding out a lake that rewards anglers willing to switch it up throughout the year.

A couple things every angler should know before heading out: Utah Lake is home to the June sucker, a native fish found in only a handful of Utah waters and protected under an active recovery program — if you catch one, it must be released immediately, no exceptions. The lake also holds northern pike, which were illegally introduced and now prey heavily on native and sport fish; Utah DWR requires anglers to keep and dispose of any pike they catch rather than release it. Common carp are also present and considered non-native, though not currently under a formal removal program here.