# Fishing & camping in the Uintas



## Perry01 (Jul 12, 2014)

Hello, I’m a retired firefighter from Hawaii and have been living in the Ogden Valley for the past few years. My teenage son and I have fished the Ogden River and some local reservoirs as well as the Green River and the Provo with good success. 

We’re planning a 4 day camping trip (weekdays) to the Uintas next month and are seeking advice on a good place to camp and fish. I’m not asking for your honey hole, just a place that’s not over crowded that has decent fishing. 

We’d prefer a camping area that’s not right on Highway 150. I have a good 4WD and don’t mind doing a little off-roading to get to a more secluded area. We’d like to do a combination of river and lake fishing and camp near a lake and perhaps drive to a river for some day fishing. 

Any input on camping spots and river fishing in the Uintas?

Have the drought conditions impacted the area?


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Getting away from crowds will be tough in the Uintas this summer, especially if you want to be near a lake. From opening until late August the place is extremely popular on average years and the pandemic only increased pressure on Utah public lands. 

Do you have a general section/region of the Uintas you are interested in? That could help narrow down recommendations.


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## Perry01 (Jul 12, 2014)

I understand that there will be increased pressure this summer due to the pandemic and we expect to see quite a few people camping and fishing which is fine. Hopefully, mon-fri will help. Anyway, we are looking at the Mirror Lake and Washington Lake areas between the Upper Provo Falls and Hayden Fork. Any advice is appreciated.


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## pollo70 (Aug 15, 2016)

North slope Uintas Whitney Reservoir good camping and fishing and everything else your looking for.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

retired from Hawaii to Utah? That's not something you hear every day...


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

North Slope gets a lot less pressure, especially Monday through Friday. The Whitney recommendation meets your needs and gets you a bit further from the biggest crowds (worst between Soapstone and Morrow Lake) . There are also several FS side roads along the Hayden Fk if you are willing to camp by a creek/river and do day trips to lakes. Some are next to 150 but far enough way that you can't hear it or know it's there.

I hope you have a great trip. It's an addictive area that gets into your blood.


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## Perry01 (Jul 12, 2014)

pollo70 said:


> North slope Uintas Whitney Reservoir good camping and fishing and everything else your looking for.


I just looked at Whitney Reservoir on Google Earth and the area looks promising. Thanks.



PBH said:


> retired from Hawaii to Utah? That's not something you hear every day...


We still maintain a home in Hawaii (for now) and split our time between the two. I work as a ski patroller during the winter season and spend most of the summer season in Hawaii.



backcountry said:


> North Slope gets a lot less pressure, especially Monday through Friday. The Whitney recommendation meets your needs and gets you a bit further from the biggest crowds (worst between Soapstone and Morrow Lake) . There are also several FS side roads along the Hayden Fk if you are willing to camp by a creek/river and do day trips to lakes. Some are next to 150 but far enough way that you can't hear it or know it's there.
> 
> I hope you have a great trip. It's an addictive area that gets into your blood.


Thanks. I have a feeling we will make this an annual trip (although perhaps next time we’ll go in the Fall). We may rethink our plan and camp by a river along Hayden Fork then make day trips to Whitney and other lakes. This trip is sort of a recon mission….


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

Take mosquito repellent. Just spent the day hiking in to fish lakes off the highway and the mosquitos are as bad as I've ever seen them.
The flow of the Provo river is crazy low too. The Falls are 1/4 or less of what they usually are. Even the natural lakes are lower than they should be. 
The Whitney area is a good place to start exploring.


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## Perry01 (Jul 12, 2014)

So we plan to head out tomorrow morning for the north slope Uintas and I was wondering where to stop and pick up maps of the area? Any advice is appreciated.


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Forest Service Office in Kansas or the station by Bear River are great. Such purchases often support either the area directly or the NGOs that do so.


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## Perry01 (Jul 12, 2014)

backcountry said:


> Forest Service Office in Kansas or the station by Bear River are great.


OK, thanks. I suppose you meant “Kamas” not Kansas


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

backcountry said:


> Forest Service Office in Kansas or the station by Bear River are great. Such purchases often support either the area directly or the NGOs that do so.


Kansas is a long ways to go to get a map of the High Unitas for fishing and hiking, and I doubt that they would have anything in Kansas.

I would just stop in at the FS office in Kamas.


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Ducking Hellspeck


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## Perry01 (Jul 12, 2014)

So, I got back this afternoon and wow, I was blown away from the beauty and serenity of the area. Thanks for the advice, Whitney was perfect and not crowded at all. Just a few other campers there. The fishing was great. I caught and released at least 10 trout every day. The nearby rivers and streams didn’t have much water so we spent most of our time fishing Whitney and exploring. We will definitely go back again.


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## backcountry (May 19, 2016)

Congrats on the new addiction 😁


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## MickeSanty (6 mo ago)

The last time I went fishing in the Uintas was half a year ago. I can't remember any completely deserted places there. You should use a tourist map to find a cozy and secluded place. I also forgot my sandwich maker that time check https://www.amazon.com/pie-iron-for-campfire-cooking/dp/B088H42W2L a great sandwich maker!, so if you find it there, it will be my gift to you, XD. Also, take as much food as possible if you are going on a four-day hike because civilization will be far away from you, and it will be difficult for you to get to the nearest store. Good luck!


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