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Utah fishing limits

Statewide daily limits and possession rules from the 2026 Utah Fishing Guidebook. Many waters have their own rules that replace these; each water page on this site lists them.

A calm mountain lake with golden fall aspens reflected in the water

Statewide daily limits

  • The statewide limit for trout, kokanee salmon and Arctic grayling is 4 fish in total. (guidebook p. 7)
  • Kokanee salmon count toward the 4-fish trout limit, and no angler may keep kokanee anywhere in Utah from Sept. 10 through Nov. 30. (guidebook p. 7)
  • Cutthroat and lake trout have no separate statewide limit: the guidebook's definition of trout includes cutthroat, lake trout (mackinaw), kokanee and grayling, so they fall under the combined trout limit unless a water-specific rule says otherwise. (guidebook p. 71)
  • The statewide bass limit is 6 largemouth and smallmouth bass combined. (guidebook p. 7)
  • The statewide walleye limit is 10, with no more than 1 over 24 inches. (guidebook p. 7)
  • The statewide yellow perch limit is 50. (guidebook p. 7)
  • The statewide crappie limit is 50 black and white crappie combined. (guidebook p. 7)
  • The statewide limit for bluegill and green sunfish is 50 combined. (guidebook p. 7)
  • The statewide channel catfish limit is 8. (guidebook p. 7)
  • The statewide wiper limit is 3, and white bass have no limit. (guidebook p. 7)
  • The statewide northern pike limit is 20, with no more than 1 over 36 inches. (guidebook p. 7)
  • The statewide tiger muskellunge limit is 1 fish, and it must be over 40 inches. (guidebook p. 7)
  • Burbot have no limit, and every burbot caught must be killed right away rather than released. (guidebook p. 7)
  • Striped bass, white bass, crayfish and nongame species have no statewide limit, apart from the prohibited species and water-specific exceptions. (guidebook p. 7)
  • Other statewide limits: whitefish 10, Bonneville cisco 30, bullhead 24, Sacramento perch 10 and roundtail chub 2. (guidebook p. 7)
  • Where a water has its own rule in the specific waters section, that rule overrides the general statewide rules. (guidebook p. 22)

Possession and keeping fish

  • The possession limit is two daily limits, counting fish in coolers, campers, freezers, livewells and similar storage but not fish kept at your permanent residence. (guidebook p. 70)
  • You may hold up to two daily limits only on an overnight or multiday trip, when at least one limit was caught legally on an earlier day and those fish have been cleaned and gutted. (guidebook p. 22)
  • At Flaming Gorge Reservoir you may never have more than one daily limit in possession. (guidebook p. 22)
  • Fish stored at home do not count toward your limit, but you can still bring home only one daily limit per day. (guidebook p. 23)
  • After reaching a full daily limit you may keep fishing, but every additional fish must be released at once. (guidebook p. 23)
  • Any trout, salmon or grayling you do not release right away counts toward your limit, and one kept on a stringer, in a basket or in a livewell can no longer be released. (guidebook p. 22)
  • While actively fishing you may not have filleted fish from that day's catch or fish with heads or tails removed; filleting is allowed once you finish fishing, reach camp, reach a cleaning station or get to your main vehicle. (guidebook p. 23)
  • At Strawberry Reservoir, Scofield Reservoir, Lost Creek Reservoir and Panguitch Lake, trout and salmon may not be filleted or have heads or tails removed in the field or in transit. (guidebook p. 23)

Community fishing ponds

  • At community fishing waters the daily limit is 2 fish, and common carp do not count toward it. (guidebook p. 31)
  • Tiger muskie may not be kept at community fishing waters, and anglers are asked to release all largemouth bass voluntarily. (guidebook p. 31)
  • Community fishing waters are open only while the parks they sit in are open to the public; the full list is at wildlife.utah.gov/cf. (guidebook p. 31)
  • Spanish Oaks Reservoir and Manila Creek Pond close Dec. 1 through 6 a.m. on the last Saturday of February. (guidebook p. 31)

Protected species and release

  • A fish that must be released immediately has to be unhooked and returned to the water quickly, never held on a stringer, in a livewell or in any container. (guidebook p. 70)
  • Bonytail, Colorado pikeminnow, humpback chub, June sucker, razorback sucker, Virgin River chub and woundfin are protected and must be released alive at once. (guidebook p. 16)
  • Listed nuisance species such as northern snakehead, grass carp and bighead carp should not be released; keep them dead and report the catch to the DWR. (guidebook p. 16)

Rules summarized in our own words from the 2026 Utah Fishing Guidebook, with page numbers. DWR can change rules during the year: check wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks for updates. Buy licenses at wildlife.utah.gov/licenses.