When is brown trout season in Utah?

Utah keeps brown 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 brown trout?

The Utah daily bag limit for brown trout is 4 / day combined trout; 1 / day brown trout + 15 in min on listed TROPHY MANAGEMENT reaches (Middle + Lower Provo + Green River below Flaming Gorge Section B + C + listed reaches); NO daily bag limit on Willard Bay (UDWR-distinctive encouraged-harvest). The possession limit is 8 in possession combined trout. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

Do you need a license to fish for brown trout in Utah?

Yes. Utah requires a valid fishing license to fish for brown 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 brown trout in Utah?

Yes. In Utah, brown trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trolling permitted; Live bait prohibited on most blue-ribbon trout streams; artificial-lures-only or fly-only on listed reaches; Barbless single hook required on listed catch-and-release + TROPHY MANAGEMENT reaches; Utah Fishing License required ages 12+ ($40 res annual / $90 NR annual); Confirm current-year UDWR Fishing Regulations for District-by-District TROPHY MANAGEMENT reach + season list.

Do specific Utah waters have different brown trout rules?

Yes. 6 named Utah waters carry rules that override the statewide brown trout regulation, including Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Flaming Gorge tailwater, Provo River, and 3 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

Utah Brown trout 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules

Salmo trutta

Last updated May 27, 2026

Utah brown trout fishery is the country's premier trophy wild brown trout tailwater system in the Intermountain West — anchored by Flaming Gorge Reservoir (IGFA all-tackle world-record brown trout 33 lb 10 oz Flaming Gorge UT-side 1979 by Robert L. Bringhurst, held IGFA world record 1979-1992 until Arkansas's Little Red 40 lb 4 oz; still UT state record — one of the largest brown trout state records in the country, historically world-record-class) + the Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam (28-mile blue-ribbon tailwater — country's premier wild brown trout tailwater alongside Bighorn MT + North Platte WY tailwaters) + the Provo River system (Middle Provo + Lower Provo tailwater — Utah's most famous urban-trout-stream wild brown + rainbow trout fishery) + Willard Bay (UDWR-distinctive — Willard Bay browns managed as encouraged-harvest forage-control, no daily bag limit). Flaming Gorge Reservoir straddles the WY/UT boundary under joint reciprocal compact + produces 8-12 lb fish routinely on the spring + fall streamer + leech patterns with 20+ lb fish landed annually. The Green River below Flaming Gorge tailwater + Middle Provo + Lower Provo + Logan + Blacksmith Fork + Weber + Ogden tailwater reaches produce 3-8 lb wild brown trout routinely. The Green River 8-12,000 catchable trout per mile density is one of country's two densest wild trout reaches alongside the Bighorn MT tailwater at 8,000/mile + Miracle Mile WY at ~12,000/mile during runoff. Utah brown trout were introduced from German + Loch Leven stock in the late 19th century and now support wild naturalized populations on every blue-ribbon trout river statewide with no stocking required on the major tailwaters. UDWR-managed Quality Management reaches carry 15 in min slot + 1 / day brown trout TROPHY MANAGEMENT on Middle Provo + Lower Provo + Green River below Flaming Gorge + listed Wasatch Range east slope tributaries. The Green River + Provo + Logan + Blacksmith Fork brown-trout-fall-spawning-run is the country's premier autumn streamer + leech fishing window (late-September through November). Open year-round on most waters.

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Season

Open year-round Open year-round on most waters; quality-management waters carry seasonal closures; Green River below Flaming Gorge + Middle Provo + Lower Provo + Logan + Blacksmith Fork + Weber + Ogden tailwater wild brown-trout reaches managed under UDWR Quality Management regulation with 15 in min on TROPHY MANAGEMENT waters; Willard Bay browns no daily bag limit (UDWR-distinctive encouraged-harvest forage-control).

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 4 / day combined trout; 1 / day brown trout + 15 in min on listed TROPHY MANAGEMENT reaches (Middle + Lower Provo + Green River below Flaming Gorge Section B + C + listed reaches); NO daily bag limit on Willard Bay (UDWR-distinctive encouraged-harvest)
Possession: 8 in possession combined trout

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: 15 in min brown trout on listed TROPHY MANAGEMENT reaches; no statewide minimum on most waters
Slot: Middle Provo (Jordanelle Dam to Deer Creek) 15 in min + 1 / day brown trout; Lower Provo (Deer Creek Dam to Utah Lake) 15 in min + 1 / day brown trout; Green River below Flaming Gorge Section B + C 15 in min + 1 / day brown trout — release inside slot mandatory on TROPHY MANAGEMENT reaches
Trophy rule: Flaming Gorge Reservoir country's premier inland trophy brown trout fishery (IGFA all-tackle world-record brown trout 33 lb 10 oz Flaming Gorge UT-side 1979 by Robert L. Bringhurst, held IGFA world record 1979-1992 until Arkansas's Little Red 40 lb 4 oz May 1992; still UT state record — historically world-record-class brown trout fishery); Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam 28-mile blue-ribbon tailwater country's premier wild brown trout tailwater (8-12,000 catchable trout per mile — one of country's two densest wild trout reaches); Provo + Logan + Blacksmith Fork brown-trout-fall-spawning-run late-September through November is country's premier autumn streamer + leech fishing window; UDWR does NOT stock brown trout on major blue-ribbon tailwaters (wild self-sustaining populations protected from hatchery genetic introgression)

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; trolling permitted
Live bait prohibited on most blue-ribbon trout streams; artificial-lures-only or fly-only on listed reaches
Barbless single hook required on listed catch-and-release + TROPHY MANAGEMENT reaches
Utah Fishing License required ages 12+ ($40 res annual / $90 NR annual)
Confirm current-year UDWR Fishing Regulations for District-by-District TROPHY MANAGEMENT reach + season list

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Utah waters:

Flaming Gorge Reservoir
Trout 4 / day combined; IGFA all-tackle world-record brown trout 33 lb 10 oz Flaming Gorge UT-side 1979 (UT state record); WY/UT joint reciprocal compact; 8-12 lb fish routinely with 20+ lb fish landed annually
Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam
Section A: artificial-fly-and-lure only + catch-and-release on cutthroat; Section B + C: 1 / day brown trout 15 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT under joint UT/WY compact 8 / day combined trout (special exception)
Provo River
Middle Provo + Lower Provo: 1 / day brown trout + 15 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT; artificial-fly-and-lure only + barbless single-hook required
Willard Bay
NO daily bag limit on brown trout (UDWR-distinctive encouraged-harvest forage-control); walleye 6 / day, only 1 over 24 in
Logan River + Blacksmith Fork
Brown trout 1 / day with 15 in min on listed TROPHY MANAGEMENT reaches
Weber River + Ogden River
Brown trout 1 / day with 15 in min on listed TROPHY MANAGEMENT reaches

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.

Visit official Utah fishing regulations →

Emergency-order channel

Brown 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 brown trout season in Utah?: Utah keeps brown 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 brown trout?: The Utah daily bag limit for brown trout is 4 / day combined trout; 1 / day brown trout + 15 in min on listed TROPHY MANAGEMENT reaches (Middle + Lower Provo + Green River below Flaming Gorge Section B + C + listed reaches); NO daily bag limit on Willard Bay (UDWR-distinctive encouraged-harvest). The possession limit is 8 in possession combined trout. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size brown trout can you keep in Utah?: The Utah size rule for brown trout is 15 in min brown trout on listed TROPHY MANAGEMENT reaches; no statewide minimum on most waters. Slot limit: Middle Provo (Jordanelle Dam to Deer Creek) 15 in min + 1 / day brown trout; Lower Provo (Deer Creek Dam to Utah Lake) 15 in min + 1 / day brown trout; Green River below Flaming Gorge Section B + C 15 in min + 1 / day brown trout — release inside slot mandatory on TROPHY MANAGEMENT reaches. Trophy rule: Flaming Gorge Reservoir country's premier inland trophy brown trout fishery (IGFA all-tackle world-record brown trout 33 lb 10 oz Flaming Gorge UT-side 1979 by Robert L. Bringhurst, held IGFA world record 1979-1992 until Arkansas's Little Red 40 lb 4 oz May 1992; still UT state record — historically world-record-class brown trout fishery); Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam 28-mile blue-ribbon tailwater country's premier wild brown trout tailwater (8-12,000 catchable trout per mile — one of country's two densest wild trout reaches); Provo + Logan + Blacksmith Fork brown-trout-fall-spawning-run late-September through November is country's premier autumn streamer + leech fishing window; UDWR does NOT stock brown trout on major blue-ribbon tailwaters (wild self-sustaining populations protected from hatchery genetic introgression).
Do you need a license to fish for brown trout in Utah?: Yes. Utah requires a valid fishing license to fish for brown 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 brown trout in Utah?: Yes. In Utah, brown trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; trolling permitted; Live bait prohibited on most blue-ribbon trout streams; artificial-lures-only or fly-only on listed reaches; Barbless single hook required on listed catch-and-release + TROPHY MANAGEMENT reaches; Utah Fishing License required ages 12+ ($40 res annual / $90 NR annual); Confirm current-year UDWR Fishing Regulations for District-by-District TROPHY MANAGEMENT reach + season list.
Do specific Utah waters have different brown trout rules?: Yes. 6 named Utah waters carry rules that override the statewide brown trout regulation, including Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Flaming Gorge tailwater, Provo River, and 3 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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