Utah Spearfishing Regulations
Fishing Proclamation
New for 2024
Changes for 2024
At all waters open to angling—during their open seasons—you can now underwater spearfish for Utah chub in addition to common carp. The board also approved spearfishing opportunities for other specific fish species in the Jordan River, Quail Creek Reservoir, Utah Lake and designated Utah Lake tributaries, which are noted as “new” on page 15. Additionally, Jordanelle Reservoir is now open to spearfishing for common carp.
GUIDEBOOK
2024 Utah Fishing Guidebook Download
UTAH ADMIN CODE
Underwater Spearfishing Utah Admin. Code R657-13-9
Underwater spearfishing hours are from official sunrise to official sunset. It is illegal to use artificial light while underwater spearfishing, and free shafting is prohibited. The waters listed below are open to underwater spearfishing for game fish from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. Unless otherwise noted, you may use spearfishing to take any legal species within the daily limits, length limits and seasonal closures that apply to each waterbody:
• Big Sandwash Reservoir (Duchesne County)
• Blue Lake (Tooele County) Tilapia and Pacu only
• Brown’s Draw Reservoir (Duchesne County)
• Causey Reservoir (Weber County)
• Electric Lake (Emery County)
• Grantsville Reservoir (Tooele County)
• Jordan River, for northern pike only (Salt Lake and Utah counties)
• Newcastle Reservoir, for wipers and rainbow trout only (Iron County)
• Porcupine Reservoir (Cache County)
• Quail Creek Reservoir, for smallmouth bass only (Washington County)
• Recapture Reservoir (San Juan County)
• Sand Lake (Uintah County)
• Smith and Morehouse Reservoir (Summit County)
• Utah Lake, for northern pike and white bass only (Utah County)
• Utah Lake tributaries, including but not limited to the following tributaries west of I-15: American Fork Creek, Beer Creek, Dry Creek, Hobble Creek, Spanish Fork River, Spring Creek and Spring Creek Run; for northern pike only (Utah County). Spearfishing is not permitted in the Provo River or Provo River Delta.
• Willard Bay Reservoir (Box Elder County)
• Yuba Reservoir (Juab and Sanpete counties)
Restrictions on spearfishing for bass
The waters listed below are open to underwater spearfishing for game fish from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, but you may not use spearfishing to take largemouth and small mouth bass from April 1 through fourth Saturday of June:
• Deer Creek Reservoir (Wasatch County)
• East Canyon Reservoir (Morgan County)
• Echo Reservoir (Summit County)
• Flaming Gorge Reservoir (Daggett County)
• Lake Powell (Garfield, Kane and San Juan counties)
• Pineview Reservoir, except closed year round to the take of tiger muskie (Weber County)
• Rockport Reservoir (Summit County)
• Starvation Reservoir (Duchesne County)
• Steinaker Reservoir (Uintah County)
Additional spearfishing rules
Underwater spearfishing hours are from official sunrise to official sunset. It is illegal to use artificial light while underwater spearfishing, and free shafting is prohibited.
There are a few exceptions to these regulations:
• At Fish Lake (Sevier County), you may underwater spearfish for all fish species from 6 a.m. on June 3 until official sunset on Sept. 9.
• At Flaming Gorge, you can underwater spearfish for burbot from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 24 hours per day. You can also use artificial light while spearfishing for burbot at this reservoir. Please see page 32 for rules specific to Flaming Gorge.
All possession limits apply, regardless of the angling technique you use.
At all waters open to angling—during their open seasons—you can underwater spearfish for carp.
Utah Spearfishing Records
| Species | Year | Weight | Length | Girth | Fisherman | Location |
| Bass, Smallmouth ** |
2017 | 5 lb 2 oz | 20″ | 14 1/2″ | Jacob Lords | East Canyon Reservoir |
| Bass, Largemouth |
2011 | 8 lb 8 oz | 22″ | 20″ | Nick Anderson |
Ken’s Lake |
| Bass, Striped |
2023 | 24 lb 6 oz | 41 1/8″ | 22 3/4″ | Shelby Lynn Peterson |
Lake Powell |
| Bass, White | 2024 | 0 lb 13 oz | 12 1/2″ | 8 1/2″ | Steven Gottfredson | Utah Lake |
| Bluegill | 2009 | 0 lb 4 oz | 9 3/4″ | 10″ | Tony Arbaney |
Steinaker Reservoir |
| Bullhead | 2009 | 1 lb 3 oz | 12 3/8″ | 8 1/4″ | Russell Sexton |
Pineview Reservoir |
| Carp | 2013 | 31 lb 0 oz | 33 3/4″ | 26 7/8″ | Casey Bird | Flaming Gorge Reservoir |
| Catfish, Channel |
2018 | 8 lb 8 oz | 26 1/4″ | 14 1/2″ | Mike Kennedy | Lake Powell |
| Chub, Utah |
2005 | 1 lb 0 oz | 12 3/4″ | 8 1/8″ | Shane Forrester |
Starvation Reservoir |
| Crappie, Black |
2020 | 1 lb 14 oz | 15 3/4″ | 12″ | Matt Turner | Deer Creek Reservoir |
| Muskellunge, Tiger** |
2020 | 36 lb 6 oz | 50″ | 22 7/8″ | Maya Western | Fish Lake |
| Perch, Yellow |
2011 | 1 lb 2 oz | 11 3/8″ | 9 3/4″ | Steven Gottfredson | Deer Creek Reservoir |
| Salmon, Kokanee | 2020 | 4 lb 22 oz | 22″ | 12 3/4″ | Scott S. Parsons | Fish Lake |
| Sucker, Utah |
2008 | 5 lb oz | 23″ | 11″ | Michael Ban |
Fish Lake |
| Sunfish, Green | 2024 | 0 lb 5 oz | 7 3/8″ | 6 7/8″ | Ryan Peterson | Lake Powell |
| Trout, Brown ** |
1983 | 21 lb 12 oz | 35 1/2″ | 21 3/4″ | Bruce Boyd |
Fish Lake |
| Trout, Cutthroat |
2008 | 1 lb 9 oz | 16 1/2″ | 8″ | Russell Sexton |
Causey Reservoir |
| Trout, Lake ** |
2008 | 32 lb 7 oz | 40 1/2″ | 26 1/2″ | Bruce Boyd |
Fish Lake |
| Trout, Rainbow |
2017 | 4 lb 6 oz | 22 3/4″ | 12 3/4″ | Matt Weaver | Flaming Gorge |
| Trout, Splake |
2012 | 16 lb 7 oz | 38″ | 17 1/2″ | Daniel Boyd |
Fish Lake |
| Trout, Tiger |
2015 | 10 lb 8 oz | 29 3/4″ | 16 7/8″ | Richard Martin | Causey Reservoir |
| Walleye | 2024 | 13 lb 8 oz | 29“ | 20″ | Steven Gottfredson | Deer Creek Reservoir |
| Wiper | 2014 | 11 lb 6 oz | 27 3/4″ | 20 3/8″ | Carl Wayne Cooper |
Newcastle Reservoir |
** World Record
Why not carp in Utah Lake?
The proclamation allows non game fish, ie; carp, to be taken in any body of water.
Thanks for the trust, Ram. Let know if there’s any part that can be improved.
We are so blessed to have a DOW in Ut that will work with us and open new lakes and fish limits every year. THANK YOU
If you ever want to understand how good we got it, look at Co Rules, They have no understanding of our sport or the support we can offer to survey lakes and remove carp.
MM
I am impressed with this site, real I am a big fan.
So can I use tanks or do is spearfishing strictly with a snorkel/breath hold? I have looked all through the proclamation and didn’t see any place it said you couldn’t use a tank.
Yes, scuba is allowed for spearfishing.
Any information on water clarity in some of these places, especially those closer to SLC? What has any visibility this time of year with heavy runoff starting.
That is not typically a condition that is updated frequently by the resources we have. We would rely more on divers to share that information.
Locations around SLC are going to be 5-15 during the runoff.
Hi there, all is going nicely here and ofcourse every one is sharing
data, that’s really good, keep up writing.
I didn’t see Bear Lake on the list of underwater sparefishing on this site but I’ve watched videos on YouTube about people sparefishing over there. Can we still fish there?
They may have been fishing for non-game fish, which is allowed.
Please consult the state proclamation before hand.
Can you spearfish at oaks park reservoir
Please consult the proclamation before spearfishing in other bodies of water not listed on this page.
Is Spearfishing legal in the high Uintas lakes?
Please consult the proclamation for which lakes game fish may be harvested.
Thanks for the well detailed article.
Any idea if Joe’s valley will ever make it to this list?
Unsure. If this is a location that would serve spearfishing well, I would reach out the the Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife Resources and make a suggestion.
What are the rules for ponds
Rule may be found in the proclamation.
Are there any lakes that you can spearfish for brook trout on public land in utah?
Check the spearfishing page and utilize the proclamation provided by DWr