Watched ksl outdoors on sat night and realized i really need to head up to the uintas! I need somwhere fairly easy to get to, I don’t have a 4x4 vehicle and my old man and little brother will be coming. I was thinking mirror lake is easy to get to but hows the fishing? So i know we have a lot of knowledgeable Uinta pros on here so help a brother out! Thanks in advance…
Also i don’t really want to drive to far, maybe a couple hrs?
I used to fish Spirit Lake in my Camaro and it was fun and good fishing but it was a bit of a drive. It is located on the north slope and east a fair chunk but the stream that flowed out of the lake really rocked for learning to fly fish. Not much size to them but lots of takers. I wore out every fly I took with me and ended up catching one in three hits but ended up with 76 fish on the day. It was years ago but I suspect it is still a great spot.
Now days I like to hike if I’m going to the Uintas and a good close spot drive wise is Amethyst lake off the Christmas meadows trailhead. It is a fair hike but beautiful spot and fun fishing. Get a good book of the Uintas trail maps and do a little reading there are tons of great options and that book can help you decide which one works for you. Pay attention to the profile it will let you know how tough or easy the hike will be plus that way you will find your own treasure and may even get away from the crowds. Good luck and have fun. Later J
Crsystal Lake is decent and very scenic. You have so many lakes really close in case one or the other sucks, Also it is like a 100 yard hike. So you have the feel of being in the backcountry without the real tough hike of the backcountry.
From what I hear there are great spots all over the place… Might just shoot on up and start checking all the lakes out! I need to learn how to fish flies better in the lakes, mostly have fished rivers. Any good rivers up there?
The Spirit Lake campground is closed right now. The lodge is still open but they are cutting all the dead trees down in the campsites so they have restricted it to no camping at the current time.
This is also one of my favorite places to go and we have been having our annual family vacations there for a long, long time. Tons of fun with a bubble and fly on the lake and even funner with a fly rod on the stream! Definitely worth the hike to the surrounding lakes as well. Great mention!
You really can’t go wrong with those roadside lakes along Mirror Lake highway. Trial lake, Lost lake, and Mirror lake are all awesome. They keep them stocked up and there are always plenty of fish. They can get busy on the weekends, but big enough that if you walk around you can find your own spot. They are also lots of fun from a raft or canoe.
What about Mirror, Washington, etc? Great lakes, easy access plus Washington area even has drinking water.
This is great guys! Thanks so much for all the tips… Now I just need to make it happen! Hopefully I will have a good follow up report soon
Thanks for the update, it’s been years for me, but I’ve always remembered learning my love for flyfishing up there so it’s always been on my list of favorite spots… thanks for the support of the recommendation as well. J
Tyler, lots of streams everywhere with lots of hungry fish, however don’t fear the lakes especially if you can get a float tube or pontoon and get a ways away from the shallow edges. But best bite on the lakes seem to be morning and evening for me at least if your fishing dry flies… I also like to fish spinners and krocodiles up there as well… I’ll be watching for a report… Thanks J