2026 regulation year
Utah Brook trout 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules
Salvelinus fontinalis
Last updated
Utah's brook trout — a char native to eastern North America, introduced to the Intermountain West in the late 19th century — thrive in the state's cold high-elevation lakes and headwater streams. The Boulder Mountain / Aquarius Plateau in south-central Utah (Dixie + Fishlake National Forests) is the state's premier brook trout destination, a high plateau dotted with dozens of alpine lakes that grow some of the largest brook trout in the lower 48. The Uinta Mountains of northeastern Utah hold hundreds of backcountry brook trout lakes across the High Uintas Wilderness, and brook trout also fill cold Wasatch Range headwater streams and beaver ponds statewide. Brook trout are prolific spawners that frequently overpopulate and stunt in small high-country waters; UDWR historically allowed a 'bonus' brook trout limit in the Uinta Mountains to thin those dense populations, but that bonus limit was REMOVED for 2026 — brook trout now count toward the standard statewide combined trout limit (4 trout, kokanee salmon and Arctic grayling combined) at all waters, with no statewide minimum size. Brook trout reach peak color in their fall spawning season, when males develop brilliant orange flanks and white-edged fins — a favorite target of high-country backpacking anglers on the Boulder + Uinta lakes. Open year-round on most waters.
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Season
Open year-round Open year-round on most waters; the high-country Uinta Mountains + Boulder Mountain (Aquarius Plateau) lakes are the premier brook trout fisheries; the former Uinta Mountains bonus brook trout limit was removed for 2026.
Bag & possession
- Daily bag
- 4 / day combined trout (trout + kokanee salmon + Arctic grayling, a combined total); the Uinta Mountains bonus brook trout limit was removed for 2026 — brook trout now count toward the standard combined trout limit at all waters
- Possession
- 8 in possession combined trout
Size, slot, trophy rules
- Size
- No statewide minimum
- Trophy rule
- Boulder Mountain / Aquarius Plateau (Dixie + Fishlake National Forests) is Utah's premier brook trout fishery — its alpine lakes grow some of the largest brook trout in the lower 48; the High Uintas Wilderness holds hundreds of backcountry brook trout lakes; UDWR removed the long-standing Uinta Mountains bonus brook trout limit for 2026, folding brook trout into the standard statewide combined trout limit
Gear restrictions
- Hook-and-line; artificial-fly-and-lure-only on listed conservation + quality reaches
- Live bait prohibited on most blue-ribbon trout streams
- Utah Fishing License required ages 12+ ($40 res annual / $90 NR annual)
- Confirm current-year UDWR Fishing Regulations for District-by-District high-country reach + season list
Named water-body overrides
Where statewide rules differ on specific Utah waters:
Boulder Mountain (Aquarius Plateau)
Premier brook trout fishery; 4 / day combined trout; alpine lakes grow trophy brook trout
Uinta Mountains high-country lakes
4 / day combined trout; the former bonus brook trout limit was removed for 2026
Wasatch Range headwater streams + beaver ponds
4 / day combined trout; no statewide minimum size
Official source
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) publishes the authoritative 2026 Utahfishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.
The brook trout rules on this page are sourced from Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR)'s official brook trout regulation page.
Visit official Utah fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
Brook trout closures, slot-limit changes, and harvest pauses are posted to Utah Division of Wildlife Resources's emergency-order feed — check it before any Utah trip during the active season.
Frequently asked questions
- When is brook trout season in Utah?
- Utah keeps brook trout open to fishing year-round for the 2026 regulation year — there is no closed season, though the daily bag and size limits below still apply every day.
- What is the Utah bag limit for brook trout?
- The Utah daily bag limit for brook trout is 4 / day combined trout (trout + kokanee salmon + Arctic grayling, a combined total); the Uinta Mountains bonus brook trout limit was removed for 2026 — brook trout now count toward the standard combined trout limit at all waters. The possession limit is 8 in possession combined trout. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
- What size brook trout can you keep in Utah?
- The Utah size rule for brook trout is No statewide minimum. Trophy rule: Boulder Mountain / Aquarius Plateau (Dixie + Fishlake National Forests) is Utah's premier brook trout fishery — its alpine lakes grow some of the largest brook trout in the lower 48; the High Uintas Wilderness holds hundreds of backcountry brook trout lakes; UDWR removed the long-standing Uinta Mountains bonus brook trout limit for 2026, folding brook trout into the standard statewide combined trout limit.
- Do you need a license to fish for brook trout in Utah?
- Yes. Utah requires a valid fishing license to fish for brook trout, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. A license is valid only in the state that issued it, so non-residents need a Utah license — compare resident and non-resident Utah fees on the state regulations page below.
- Are there gear restrictions for brook trout in Utah?
- Yes. In Utah, brook trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; artificial-fly-and-lure-only on listed conservation + quality reaches; Live bait prohibited on most blue-ribbon trout streams; Utah Fishing License required ages 12+ ($40 res annual / $90 NR annual); Confirm current-year UDWR Fishing Regulations for District-by-District high-country reach + season list.
- Do specific Utah waters have different brook trout rules?
- Yes. 3 named Utah waters carry rules that override the statewide brook trout regulation, including Boulder Mountain, Uinta Mountains, Wasatch headwaters. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.