Torrey, Fishlake & Loa
Fly Fishing Torrey, Fishlake & Loa
The hub-town for Capitol Reef National Park is Torrey which sits between the Boulder Mountains and 1000 Lakes Mountain. Perfectly situated to access the most premier fly fishing to be found in all of southern Utah. Hire a guide for as many days as you have time, as you’ll leave only scratching the surface of what this area has to offer.
Fishlake is a high alpine lake (elevation approximately 8,848 ft) located in the Fishlake/ Southern Wasatch Plateau region of south-central Utah and is what the Fishlake Mountains are named after. It lies within and is the namesake of the Fishlake National Forest.
The lake, five miles long by one and a half miles wide at its widest point, lies in a geologic structure known as a graben valley. Based on recent research the lake has an average depth in summer of about 100 feet and has been found to be 127 feet deep in its deepest known location.
Fishlake is Utah’s most popular ice fishing lake during winter months where anglers frequently land lake trout over 20lbs. and much bigger. Fly-fishers find great opportunities here also if you know where to go on it’s numerous waters.
The lake is best known for its sport fishing—particularly its large lake trout (also known as mackinaw). Fish are caught every summer upwards of 25 lbs. The region sees heavy snowfall in the winter, with snowfall occurring as late as June in any given year. For this reason tourist activity is at its peak in the summer months.
Fly fishing this big lake can be rewarding from a boat as there are plentiful shallow shorelines which are productive with a fly. For the discriminating fly fisher, if you put your time on this lake or hire a guide, it will reward you with some big fish. Monster Brown and Splake (lake trout/brook trout hybrid) can be found in the fall if you look hard. Look for the big Mackinaw in the springtime.