When is cutthroat trout season in Utah?

Utah keeps cutthroat 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 cutthroat trout?

The Utah daily bag limit for cutthroat trout is 0 / day catch-and-release-only on listed UDWR-managed Bonneville cutthroat conservation populations; 1 / day Bear Lake (joint ID/UT 22 in min TROPHY) + Strawberry (22 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT); 4 / day combined trout elsewhere. The possession limit is 8 in possession combined trout on harvest waters. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.

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

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

Yes. In Utah, cutthroat trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; fly-fishing-only on listed UDWR-managed conservation reaches; Artificial-lures-only + barbless single hook on Strawberry + Bear Lake + Bear River + Logan + Blacksmith Fork + Weber + listed Wasatch Range east slope conservation reaches; Live bait prohibited on most Bonneville cutthroat conservation waters; Utah Fishing License required ages 12+ ($40 res annual / $90 NR annual); Confirm current-year UDWR Fishing Regulations for District-by-District Bonneville cutthroat conservation reach + season list.

Do specific Utah waters have different cutthroat trout rules?

Yes. 6 named Utah waters carry rules that override the statewide cutthroat trout regulation, including Bear Lake, Strawberry Reservoir, Logan River + Blacksmith Fork, and 3 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

2026 regulation year

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

Oncorhynchus clarkii

Last updated May 27, 2026

Utah cutthroat trout fishery carries four distinct native + endemic cutthroat subspecies on separate drainages: (1) Bear Lake cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii utah — Bonneville cutthroat subspecies ENDEMIC to the Bear Lake basin, found nowhere else in the world — one of only four endemic fish species in Bear Lake alongside Bonneville cisco + Bonneville whitefish + Bear Lake whitefish); (2) Bonneville cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii utah — Bonneville Basin endemic subspecies of the Great Basin internally-drained watershed — UDWR-managed conservation populations on Bear River + Logan + Blacksmith Fork + Weber + Provo + Strawberry + listed Bonneville cutthroat conservation reaches statewide); (3) Colorado River cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus — Colorado River drainage native cutthroat on the Green River + Yampa + White + listed eastern UT drainages); (4) Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri — introduced from the Snake River drainage at listed Wasatch Range east slope tributaries). UDWR-managed aggressive native cutthroat protection: Bonneville cutthroat is a UDWR Species of Special Concern — 0 / day catch-and-release-only on listed UDWR-managed conservation populations (Strawberry + Bear River + Logan + Blacksmith Fork + Weber + listed Wasatch Range east slope tributaries). Strawberry Reservoir (17,000-acre reservoir in the Wasatch Range — USBR Strawberry Dam built 1916 + enlarged 1990 — Wasatch County) carries Utah's flagship Bonneville cutthroat + kokanee salmon TROPHY MANAGEMENT fishery — UDWR-managed wild Bear Lake-strain Bonneville cutthroat released annually from Whiterocks State Fish Hatchery (22 in min + 1 / day TROPHY MANAGEMENT). Bear Lake (110 sq mi natural lake on the ID/UT line — Rich County UT + Bear Lake County ID — country's 4th-deepest natural lake in the lower 48 at 208 ft) is administered under the joint ID/UT reciprocal compact + 22 in min + 1 / day TROPHY MANAGEMENT on endemic Bear Lake cutthroat. The Logan River + Blacksmith Fork + Weber River + Provo River headwater reaches carry UDWR-managed Bonneville cutthroat conservation populations under catch-and-release-only protection. UDWR stocks the Bonneville cutthroat Conservation Program annually via Whiterocks + Mantua + Springville + Glenwood State Fish Hatcheries to support native Bonneville cutthroat restoration. Open year-round on most waters.

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Season

Open year-round Open year-round on most waters; listed Bonneville cutthroat conservation populations 0 / day catch-and-release-only (Strawberry + Bear River + Logan + Blacksmith Fork + Weber + Wasatch Range east slope tributaries); Bear Lake 1 / day with 22 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT under joint ID/UT compact; Strawberry 1 / day with 22 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT.

Bag & possession

Daily bag: 0 / day catch-and-release-only on listed UDWR-managed Bonneville cutthroat conservation populations; 1 / day Bear Lake (joint ID/UT 22 in min TROPHY) + Strawberry (22 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT); 4 / day combined trout elsewhere
Possession: 8 in possession combined trout on harvest waters

Size, slot, trophy rules

Size: 22 in min Strawberry + Bear Lake endemic cutthroat TROPHY MANAGEMENT; no statewide minimum elsewhere
Slot: Strawberry Reservoir 22 in min + 1 / day Bonneville cutthroat — release inside slot mandatory on TROPHY MANAGEMENT reach; Bear Lake 22 in min + 1 / day joint ID/UT compact
Trophy rule: Bear Lake cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii utah — Bonneville cutthroat subspecies) ENDEMIC to the Bear Lake basin — found nowhere else in the world — one of only four endemic fish species in Bear Lake alongside Bonneville cisco + Bonneville whitefish + Bear Lake whitefish; Strawberry Reservoir Utah's flagship Bonneville cutthroat + kokanee salmon TROPHY MANAGEMENT fishery (UDWR-managed wild Bear Lake-strain Bonneville cutthroat — 22 in min + 1 / day TROPHY); UDWR-managed aggressive Bonneville cutthroat protection — 0 / day catch-and-release-only on listed UDWR-managed conservation populations statewide; UDWR Bonneville cutthroat Conservation Program annual stocking via Whiterocks + Mantua + Springville + Glenwood State Fish Hatcheries supports native Bonneville cutthroat restoration

Gear restrictions

Hook-and-line; fly-fishing-only on listed UDWR-managed conservation reaches
Artificial-lures-only + barbless single hook on Strawberry + Bear Lake + Bear River + Logan + Blacksmith Fork + Weber + listed Wasatch Range east slope conservation reaches
Live bait prohibited on most Bonneville cutthroat conservation waters
Utah Fishing License required ages 12+ ($40 res annual / $90 NR annual)
Confirm current-year UDWR Fishing Regulations for District-by-District Bonneville cutthroat conservation reach + season list

Named water-body overrides

Where statewide rules differ on specific Utah waters:

Bear Lake
Joint ID/UT reciprocal compact; endemic Bear Lake cutthroat 1 / day with 22 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT — Oncorhynchus clarkii utah endemic subspecies found nowhere else in the world
Strawberry Reservoir
Bonneville cutthroat 1 / day with 22 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT (UDWR-managed wild Bear Lake-strain Bonneville cutthroat released from Whiterocks State Fish Hatchery)
Logan River + Blacksmith Fork
Bonneville cutthroat 0 / day CATCH-AND-RELEASE-ONLY on listed UDWR-managed conservation populations
Bear River drainage
Bonneville cutthroat 0 / day CATCH-AND-RELEASE-ONLY on listed UDWR-managed conservation populations
Provo + Weber + North Fork Provo
Bonneville cutthroat 0 / day CATCH-AND-RELEASE-ONLY on listed UDWR-managed conservation reaches; trout 4 / day combined elsewhere
Green River + Yampa + White + listed eastern UT drainages
Colorado River cutthroat 0 / day CATCH-AND-RELEASE-ONLY on listed UDWR-managed conservation 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

Cutthroat 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 cutthroat trout season in Utah?: Utah keeps cutthroat 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 cutthroat trout?: The Utah daily bag limit for cutthroat trout is 0 / day catch-and-release-only on listed UDWR-managed Bonneville cutthroat conservation populations; 1 / day Bear Lake (joint ID/UT 22 in min TROPHY) + Strawberry (22 in min TROPHY MANAGEMENT); 4 / day combined trout elsewhere. The possession limit is 8 in possession combined trout on harvest waters. Some named waters set a different limit — check the water-body overrides above.
What size cutthroat trout can you keep in Utah?: The Utah size rule for cutthroat trout is 22 in min Strawberry + Bear Lake endemic cutthroat TROPHY MANAGEMENT; no statewide minimum elsewhere. Slot limit: Strawberry Reservoir 22 in min + 1 / day Bonneville cutthroat — release inside slot mandatory on TROPHY MANAGEMENT reach; Bear Lake 22 in min + 1 / day joint ID/UT compact. Trophy rule: Bear Lake cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii utah — Bonneville cutthroat subspecies) ENDEMIC to the Bear Lake basin — found nowhere else in the world — one of only four endemic fish species in Bear Lake alongside Bonneville cisco + Bonneville whitefish + Bear Lake whitefish; Strawberry Reservoir Utah's flagship Bonneville cutthroat + kokanee salmon TROPHY MANAGEMENT fishery (UDWR-managed wild Bear Lake-strain Bonneville cutthroat — 22 in min + 1 / day TROPHY); UDWR-managed aggressive Bonneville cutthroat protection — 0 / day catch-and-release-only on listed UDWR-managed conservation populations statewide; UDWR Bonneville cutthroat Conservation Program annual stocking via Whiterocks + Mantua + Springville + Glenwood State Fish Hatcheries supports native Bonneville cutthroat restoration.
Do you need a license to fish for cutthroat trout in Utah?: Yes. Utah requires a valid fishing license to fish for cutthroat 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 cutthroat trout in Utah?: Yes. In Utah, cutthroat trout fishing carries these gear rules: Hook-and-line; fly-fishing-only on listed UDWR-managed conservation reaches; Artificial-lures-only + barbless single hook on Strawberry + Bear Lake + Bear River + Logan + Blacksmith Fork + Weber + listed Wasatch Range east slope conservation reaches; Live bait prohibited on most Bonneville cutthroat conservation waters; Utah Fishing License required ages 12+ ($40 res annual / $90 NR annual); Confirm current-year UDWR Fishing Regulations for District-by-District Bonneville cutthroat conservation reach + season list.
Do specific Utah waters have different cutthroat trout rules?: Yes. 6 named Utah waters carry rules that override the statewide cutthroat trout regulation, including Bear Lake, Strawberry Reservoir, Logan River + Blacksmith Fork, and 3 more. See the named water-body overrides above for the exact rule on each.

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