Wildlife officials are proposing changes to fishing regulations in Southern Utah lakes

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources is proposing changes to Utah’s current fishing laws, along with a few other rule changes.

A recent press release stated that proposed changes to fishing regulations will be considered for the 2025-26 year.

“In order to implement necessary improvements to fisheries management in various waters across the state and to accommodate the opinions of anglers, DWR is recommending several changes to fisheries management,” said a press release. “If approved, the changes will take effect on January 1, 2025.”

Wildlife officials are seeking public input on the proposed changes. More information can be obtained from Utah officials at this link.

The proposals note ideas for several types of water in Southern Utah, including:

Southeastern Utah

Recapture Reservoir: Closing Recapture Reservoir to underwater spearfishing for largemouth bass from April 1 through the fourth Saturday in June (spawning season).

Southern Utah

Manning Meadow Reservoir: Allowing fishing and increasing the daily trout limit at Manning Meadow Reservoir to four fish. (The current daily limit is two fish.) The seasonal closure to protect spawning cutthroat trout would remain.

Barney Lake: Allowing bait and increasing the daily trout limit to four fish. (The current daily limit is two fish.)

Gunlock Reservoir: Allows a daily limit of six largemouth bass of any size. DWR is also proposing to increase the daily black crappie limit to 100 fish. (Currently, the statewide limit for black crappie is 50 fish.)

Quail Creek Reservoir: Allows a daily limit of six largemouth bass of any size.

Sand Hollow Reservoir: Increasing the daily limit for largemouth bass to eight fish of any size. (Currently, the daily limit is six largemouth bass, with only one fish over 12 inches.)

Mill Meadow Reservoir: Reducing the daily limit of eight tiger muskie at Mill Meadow Reservoir to match the daily tiger muskie limit of one fish over 40 inches.

National fishing regulations

• Spearfishing is allowed at any time of the day or night. (Currently, it is only allowed between sunrise and sunset.)
• Allows the use of artificial lights while fishing in any area for Utah chub.
• Allowing spearfishing in 15 high water bodies 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.
• Reducing the number of hooks allowed from 15 to 8. (Setline fishing is mostly directed at catfish, with a statewide daily limit of eight fish.)
• A set limit is intended only for anglers with a set permit.
• To prevent automatic callback.
• It requires the phone to be checked at least once every 48 hours.
• Requires the line to be permanently marked with a fishing license number.
• Allowing the use of air guns (archery tackle) to remove carp from any open water area, as long as the airgun is capable of shooting arrows or bolts only, is powered and compressed only with a different mechanism to charge.
• Removing the “bonus” limit of brook trout in the lakes and streams of the Uinta Mountains in Daggett, Duchesne, Summit, Uintah and Wasatch counties. (Currently, there is a “bonus limit” of four brook trout.)
• It includes four public fishing ponds across the state, including Dry Creek Highland Pond, Provo River Delta Gateway Park Pond, Jordan River Big Bend Pond and Willow Spring Pond.
• Allowing fishermen to kill and harvest fish that they catch that are listed as restricted species and requiring fishermen to report those catches to DWR. (Currently, fishermen must release all prohibited species of fish they catch, including potentially dangerous species.)

Improvements planned for the sale of goods

Wildlife officials are also proposing a few changes to the law that sets the standards and procedures for how the government can buy, sell or exchange land. The proposed improvements are minor wording changes to provide clarification and additional information about the functionality – these suggestions do not change the functionality itself.

The proposed changes include restructuring the law to create different categories for the acquisition, disposal and exchange of wildlife property. This will help to clearly separate those processes and create a quality connection based on each part. A few other legal definitions and related definitions were proposed.

Want to comment?

Community advocacy meetings can be viewed in person or attended in person. Watch pre-meeting biologists’ talks and share your thoughts on them at Department of Wildlife website.

A public comment period opened on Aug. 6 for each of the five Regional Advisory Council meetings and for the Utah Wildlife Board meeting. Public comments submitted during the online comment periods listed below will be shared with wildlife board members at each meeting.

People can choose to watch the meetings online or attend them in person. If you wish to make comments at the meeting, you must attend in person. Online comments will only be accepted up to the deadlines set out below. Meetings will be held on the following dates and times:

Central Utah RAC Conference: Aug. 27 at 6pm at the DWR Springville Office at 1115 N. Main St. Springville. (Online entries must be submitted by Aug. 22 at 11:59 pm)

Northern Utah RAC Conference: Aug. 28 at 6pm at the Weber County Commission Chambers at 2380 Washington Blvd. #240 in Ogden. (Online entries must be submitted by Aug. 22 at 11:59 pm)

Southern Utah RAC Conference: September 3rd at 6pm at the DNR Richfield City Complex at 2031 Industrial Park Road in Richfield. (Online entries must be submitted by Aug. 29 at 11:59 pm)

Southeastern Utah RAC Convention: Sept. 4 at 6pm at the John Wesley Powell Museum at 1765 E. Main St. in Green River. (Online entries must be submitted by Aug. 29 at 11:59 pm)

Northeastern Utah RAC Conference: Sept. 5 to 6 pm DWR Vernal Office at 318 N. Vernal Ave. (Online comments must be submitted by Aug. 29 at 11:59 pm)

Utah Wildlife Board Meeting: September 19 at 9 a.m. at the Eccles Wildlife Education Center at 1157 South Waterfowl Way in Farmington. (Online entries must be submitted by Sept. 10 at 11:59 pm)

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