New fishing regulations approved for 2025-2026

Photo: Summer fly fishing on the Provo River. Photo: Townlift // Will Scadden

UTAH – The Utah Wildlife Board has recently approved several changes to fishing regulations throughout Utah for 2025 through 2026.

The changes approved by the Utah Wildlife Board will go into effect on January 1, 2025. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources proposed changes to several regulations based on angler feedback through several surveys.

Statewide regulation changes:

Spearfishing will now be permitted around the clock, with artificial lights allowed when targeting Utah chub at any open location. Spearfishing will also be expanded to 15 high-elevation waterbodies in the Uinta Mountains, including Alexander Lake, Wall Lake, Fish Lake, Hoover Lake, Whitney Reservoir, China Lake, Hoop Lake, Chepeta Lake, Papoose Lake, Wigwam Lake, Moccasin Lake, Paradise Park Lake, Hacking Lake, Upper Stillwater Reservoir and Spirit Lake.

Setline fishing will see a reduction in the number of hooks allowed per line, from 15 to 8, with setlines limited to anglers with permits, prohibiting mechanical retrieval and requiring lines to be checked every 48 hours. Additionally, setlines must be permanently marked with the angler’s permit number.

Airguns (archery tackle) will now be permitted for removing carp at any open waterbody, provided they are pneumatically powered and shoot arrows or bolts.

The “bonus” brook trout limit in lakes and streams of the Uinta Mountains will be removed, and four new community fishing ponds will be added across the state.

Anglers will also be allowed to kill and possess prohibited fish species they catch, which were previously required to be released, with a request to report these catches to the DWR.

Regulation changes in Central Utah waterbodies:

In Wasatch County, regulation changes now allow anglers to follow the statewide limit for white bass caught at Deer Creek Reservoir, rather than requiring them to kill the fish immediately.

New regulations for the Provo River Delta now require the immediate release of any June suckers caught in the area. Walleye caught between March 1 and 6 a.m. on the first Saturday in May, during their spawning season, must also be released. The catch limit for northern pike has been removed, and any northern pike caught must be killed immediately. Additionally, nighttime bowfishing (from sunset to sunrise) will be prohibited in the Provo River Delta from the first Saturday in May until 6 a.m. on the second Saturday of July.

In Utah Lake and its tributaries, spearfishing for white bass, as well as northern pike, is now allowed at Utah Lake and its tributaries west of I-15, including American Fork Creek, Beer Creek, Dry Creek, Hobble Creek, Spanish Fork River and Spring Creek Run.

At Stansbury Lake, it is now required that any largemouth bass caught must be released. There will also be a 10-fish combined limit for bluegill, green sunfish and black crappie, and a limit of two channel catfish.

Setline fishing is now allowed at the Yuba reservoir.

Regulation changes in Northeastern Utah waterbodies:

At Pelican lake, the 15-fish limit on bluegill will remain in effect, but the length limit was changed so that only five of the fish caught may exceed 8 inches. An angler may now use up to six lines when ice fishing at Pelican Lake, but may only check their own lines and are required to attach their name to each line, pole or tip-up if more than two poles are being used at a time.

Regulations for the Strawberry River were clarified so that the artificial flies and lures regulation also applies to instream lakes and ponds between the Pinnacles and Soldier Creek Dam on Strawberry Reservoir.

Regulation changes in Northern Utah waterbodies:

At Willard Bay Reservoir, the daily limit for yellow perch will be reduced to 15, down from the statewide limit of 50.

At Causey and Porcupine Reservoirs, anglers ice fishing will be allowed to use up to six lines, but must check their own lines and label them with their name if using more than two poles.

The daily limit for black crappie at Cutler Reservoir will be reduced to 15 fish.

At Echo Reservoir, the catch-and-kill regulation for walleye will be removed, and the statewide limit of 10 walleye, with one fish over 24 inches, will apply.

At the Pond at Poulter Preserve, a new regulation will allow only artificial flies, lures, and catch-and-release fishing from the second Saturday in September through the third Saturday in May. The rest of the year, the statewide community fishery regulations will apply, allowing bait and a daily limit of two fish.

Regulation changes for the Flaming Gorge Reservoir:

The board approved several changes to the fishing regulations at the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, which were made to benefit the kokanee salmon population present and an attempt to reduce the population of lake trout.

The changes include allowing the use of caught lake trout, within the daily limit, as bait. Changes also include allowing fishermen to dispose of caught lake trout, as long as state wasting laws are not violated.

Chumming will now be allowed at Flaming Gorge, but only with legal baits, dead burbot or dead lake trout.

The daily limit for lake trout 28 inches or smaller caught at the Flaming Gorge Reservoir were removed. The daily fish limit for kokanee salmon caught at Flaming Gorge was decreased to three fish. The current limit for kokanee salmon in all Utah waterbodies is four.