Utah Lake Fish Stocking

Fish Stocking at Utah Lake

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) stocks several species into Utah Lake to maintain and improve the fishery. Stocking programs are critical for sustaining species like channel catfish and walleye, which face reproductive challenges in the lake's environment.

Currently Stocked Species

Channel Catfish

Channel catfish are regularly stocked to maintain the lake's most popular fishery. Stocked catfish supplement natural reproduction, ensuring anglers enjoy consistent catches. The UDWR typically stocks catfish fingerlings in spring and early summer.

Walleye

Walleye stocking helps maintain a fishery that provides some of the best walleye fishing in Utah Valley. Fingerling walleye are stocked periodically to supplement natural reproduction, which is limited in Utah Lake's conditions.

June Sucker

June sucker stocking is part of the endangered species recovery program. Captive-bred June suckers are raised at hatcheries and released into the lake and its tributaries. This is a conservation stocking, not a fisheries enhancement — June suckers are fully protected.

Stocking Reports

For the latest fish stocking data across Utah — including Utah Lake — visit our parent site utahstockedfish.com. The site tracks stocking reports from the UDWR for every stocked water body in Utah, including species, quantities, and dates.

How Stocking Affects Fishing

• Catfish stocking means a steady supply of fish reaching keepable size. It takes 2-3 years for stocked fingerlings to reach the 2+ pound size most anglers target.
• Walleye stocking directly correlates with walleye catches — good stocking years lead to good fishing years 3-4 years later when those fish reach quality size.
• Recent stocking doesn't mean immediate fishing improvement. Newly stocked fish are fingerlings that need years to grow.