2026 regulation year
Virgin River drainage 2026 — Utah Fishing Regulations
Utah statewide rules apply unless overridden below.
Last updated
Virgin River drainage carries a special-regulation overlay on top of Utah's 2026 fishing rules. Verify the agency booklet before launching: in-season changes are not yet wired to this page.
Get change alerts
Watch Virgin River drainage (UT) and we'll email you when a season, bag limit, slot, or closure changes. Free while in beta.
State-level special regulation
Federal USFWS jurisdiction overlay for ESA-listed Virgin River chub + woundfin — must release any non-game native fish caught; trout 4 / day combined on stocked Virgin River reservoirs (Kolob + Quail Creek + Sand Hollow trout overlay)
Source: Utah special-water list
Official source
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) publishes the authoritative 2026 Utah fishing regulations. Special-regulation lakes and rivers are listed in the agency booklet — always verify before fishing.
Visit official Utah fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to Utah Division of Wildlife Resources's emergency-order feed — check it before any Utah trip during the active season.
Other special-regulation waters in Utah
- Bear Lake
- Bear River drainage
- Boulder Mountain (Aquarius Plateau)
- Calder Reservoir (Uintah County)
- Causey Reservoir
- Currant Creek (Wasatch County)
- Deer Creek Reservoir
- Family Fishing Waters
- Fish Lake
- Flaming Gorge Reservoir
- Green River + Yampa + White + listed eastern UT drainages
- Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam
Frequently asked questions
- What special fishing regulations apply at Virgin River drainage?
- Virgin River drainage carries one special-regulation overlay that overrides Utah's statewide 2026 rules. It reads: "Federal USFWS jurisdiction overlay for ESA-listed Virgin River chub + woundfin — must release any non-game native fish caught; trout 4 / day combined on stocked Virgin River reservoirs (Kolob + Quail Creek + Sand Hollow trout overlay)." Every overlay on this water body is listed in full above.
- Do I need a fishing license to fish Virgin River drainage?
- Yes. Virgin River drainage is in Utah, so a valid Utah fishing license is required just as it is anywhere else in the state, issued by Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR). The special regulations on this page change the bag, size, slot, or gear rules for Virgin River drainage; they do not waive the license requirement. Free-fishing days and youth exemptions follow the statewide Utah rules.
- Do Virgin River drainage's special rules replace Utah's statewide limits?
- Only where they conflict. Utah's statewide 2026 regulations apply on Virgin River drainage by default; the overlays above replace the matching statewide rule for the species or gear they name, while everything not specifically overridden still follows the statewide rule. When a water-body rule and the statewide rule disagree, the water-body rule wins.