Utah Scuba Divers

 

Utah Spearfishing Regulations 

Fishing Proclamation

Changes for 2025-2026

Underwater spearfishing for nongame fish—other than carp and Utah chub—is only allowed at the waters listed on page 19 of the guidebook. You may use a crossbow or airgun only if you’re taking carp.
You may use artificial light while bowfishing or spearfishing for carp.

GUIDEBOOK
2025-2026 Utah Fishing Guidebook Download 

UTAH ADMIN CODE
Underwater Spearfishing Utah Admin. Code R657-13-9

The challenging sport of underwater spearfishing has become very popular in Utah. When spearfishing, you are subject to all of Utah’s fishing rules, regulations, daily limits and licensing requirements. In addition to the following information, carefully review Rules for specific waters beginning on page 28 of the guidebook

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)
• Porcupine Reservoir (Cache County)
• Uinta Mountains ( Daggett, Duchesne, Summit and Uintah counties)
     Alexander Lake
     Chepeta Lake
     China Lake
     Fish Lake (Weber River drainage)
     Hacking Lake
     Hoop Lake
     Hoover Lake
     Moccasin Lake
     Papoose Lake
     Paradise Park Lake
    Sand Lake (Uintah County)
    Smith and Morehouse Reservoir (Summit County)
     Smith and Morehouse Reservoir
     Spirit Lake
     Upper Stillwater Reservoir
     Wall Lake
     Whitney Reservoir
     Wigwam Lake
• Recapture Reservoir (San Juan 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)

Exceptions
The following waters have exceptions while underwater spearfishing.

  Blue Lake Pacu and tilapia only. 

  Jordan River, Salt Lake and Utah counties Northern pike only.

  Fish Lake (Sevier County), you may underwater spearfish for all fish species from 6 a.m. on the
                    first Saturday in June until official sunset on Sept. 9.

  Flaming Gorge,
                            • Underwater spearfishing for burbot and lake trout is allowed year-round, 24 
                               hours per day. 
                            • Artificial light is allowed while spearfishing for burbot and lake trout.
                            • Artificial light may not be used to take any other fish species with spearfishing
                               techniques. 
                            • The length of shooting lines used when spearfishing is restricted to 20 feet.

  Lake Powell,
                      • Archery and underwater spearfishing are prohibited within all of the following
                        areas:
                      •  One-quarter mile of all existing developed areas, including shoreline
                          campgrounds, docks, launch ramps, breakwaters and trailheads.
                      • One-quarter mile of any structure, including any building, shed, pumpout, boat
                         dock, breakwater, permanent harbor fixture, camper, motor home, trailer, tent or
                         vehicle
                      •  Rainbow Bridge National Monument.
                      • One-quarter mile of Dangling Rope Marina, including any land- or harbor-based
                         structures.
                      • One hundred yards (300 feet) of any boats (unless the person owns, rents, leases
                         or lawfully occupies the boat), or another boat moves into the 100-yard perimeter
                         after the bow or spearfishing activity has commenced.

• Pineview Reservoir:
                         CLOSED year-round to the take of tiger muskie.

Newcastle Reservoir:
                         • Wipers and rainbow trout only.

Quail Creek Reservoir:
                          • Smallmouth bass only.

Utah Spearfishing Records

** World Record