Joe Lay Lake fishing
Joe Lay Lake was last stocked on July 13, 2026 with 199 brook trout (2.9 in. average), according to the Utah DWR fish stocking report. It is a lake in Garfield County, Utah. From 2021 to 2026, DWR stocked 1,258 fish here, the 46th most of 65 stocked waters in Garfield County.
Recent stockings at Joe Lay Lake
- July 13, 2026199 brook trout, 2.9 in. average
- June 23, 2025200 brook trout and 45 tiger trout, 2.9 in. average
- June 25, 2024194 brook trout, 2.6 in. average
- July 11, 2023207 brook trout, 2.6 in. average
- Aug. 16, 2022210 brook trout, 3.5 in. average
- July 6, 2021203 brook trout, 2.8 in. average
Newest first, from the Utah DWR stocking report. Full stocking history.
Joe Lay Lake facts
- Last stocked
- July 13, 2026 (120 days ago): 199 brook trout
- Stockings in 2026
- 1 (199 fish): 199 brook trout
- County
- Garfield County
- Stocked since 2021
- brook trout and tiger trout
- Average size stocked
- 2.9 in. (2021 to 2026)
- County rank
- 46th most fish of 65 stocked waters in Garfield County since 2021
- Name in DWR report
- JOE LAY L NCL
- Nearest water
- Yellow Lake, 0.4 mi
- Rules
- Statewide rules (no water-specific entry in the 2026 guidebook)
Joe Lay Lake stocking report, last 12 months
| July 13, 2026 | Brook trout | 199 | 2.9 in. |
Source: Utah DWR fish stocking report. Stocking data fetched Nov. 10, 2026; newest record dated Nov. 19, 2026. DWR posts stockings after they happen and does not publish schedules.
Joe Lay Lake stocking profile
- First record in the DWR report: July 8, 2002. Since then DWR has logged 26 stockings here in 24 different years, 6,674 fish in all.
- Species stocked 2021 to 2026, by share of fish: brook trout 96% (1,213 fish) and tiger trout 4% (45 fish).
- Busiest months in the record: July (65% of records) and June (31% of records).
- Stocked fish averaged 2.9 in. from 2021 to 2026 (per-record averages ranged from 2.6 to 3.5 in.).
- Fish stocked 2021 to 2026: 1,258, the 46th most of 65 stocked waters in Garfield County and 741st of 1,076 statewide.
- Nearest other water with a page: Yellow Lake, 0.4 mi away.
Computed from Utah DWR stocking records (fish counts and average lengths as DWR reports them). Past stocking is history, not a schedule.
When is Joe Lay Lake stocked?
Based on DWR stocking records, 2021 to 2025. Stocked in 5 of those 5 years.
2025 stocking: 2 records, first on June 23.
DWR does not publish stocking schedules. This is past stocking, not a promise. How we read patterns.
Joe Lay Lake stocking history by year
| Year | Records | Fish | Avg. length | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 199 | 2.9 in. | Brook trout |
| 2025 | 2 | 245 | 2.9 in. | Tiger trout, Brook trout |
| 2024 | 1 | 194 | 2.6 in. | Brook trout |
| 2023 | 1 | 207 | 2.6 in. | Brook trout |
| 2022 | 1 | 210 | 3.5 in. | Brook trout |
| 2021 | 1 | 203 | 2.8 in. | Brook trout |
| 2020 | 1 | 205 | 2.7 in. | Brook trout |
| 2019 | 1 | 100 | 2.8 in. | Brook trout |
| 2018 | 2 | 246 | 2.9 in. | Tiger trout, Brook trout |
| 2017 | 1 | 201 | 2.4 in. | Brook trout |
| 2016 | 1 | 258 | 2.1 in. | Brook trout |
| 2015 | 1 | 159 | 2.9 in. | Brook trout |
| 2013 | 1 | 363 | 2.5 in. | Brook trout |
| 2012 | 1 | 357 | 2.6 in. | Brook trout |
| 2011 | 1 | 358 | 3.3 in. | Brook trout |
| 2010 | 1 | 360 | 2.6 in. | Brook trout |
| 2009 | 1 | 351 | 3.3 in. | Brook trout |
| 2008 | 1 | 357 | 3.2 in. | Brook trout |
| 2007 | 1 | 353 | 3.2 in. | Brook trout |
| 2006 | 1 | 347 | 2.9 in. | Brook trout |
| 2005 | 1 | 355 | 2.3 in. | Brook trout |
| 2004 | 1 | 351 | 2.3 in. | Brook trout |
| 2003 | 1 | 348 | 2.6 in. | Brook trout |
| 2002 | 1 | 347 | 2.9 in. | Brook trout |
All stocking records 2021 to Nov. 10, 2025 (6)
| June 23, 2025 | Tiger trout | 45 | 2.8 in. |
| June 23, 2025 | Brook trout | 200 | 3.0 in. |
| June 25, 2024 | Brook trout | 194 | 2.6 in. |
| July 11, 2023 | Brook trout | 207 | 2.6 in. |
| Aug. 16, 2022 | Brook trout | 210 | 3.5 in. |
| July 6, 2021 | Brook trout | 203 | 2.8 in. |
Fishing rules
No water-specific entry for Joe Lay Lake in the 2026 guidebook: statewide limits apply unless a group entry (such as a drainage) covers it.
From the 2026 Utah Fishing Guidebook, in our own words. Rules can change mid-year: check wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks before fishing.
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Joe Lay Lake questions
When is Joe Lay Lake stocked?
DWR does not publish stocking schedules. Past records show Joe Lay Lake was stocked in late June to early July (3 of the last 5 years). The most recent stocking in the DWR report is dated July 13, 2026.
What fish are in Joe Lay Lake?
Since 2021 DWR has stocked brook trout and tiger trout.
Stocking: Utah DWR fish stocking report, fetched Nov. 10, 2026. Location: Utah DWR, USGS NHD. Rules: 2026 Utah Fishing Guidebook. Page built Nov. 10, 2026. Found an error? Tell us. Verify rules with DWR before fishing.