UTV Fishing Trips

We love UTV riding and we love fishing. We love it most when we can do both things together. We’ve put together a list of places to visit where you can fish and ride to your hearts content. Each of these places is beautiful, fun and full of adventure. When it comes to fishing, most often we are spin fishing, although a few of our locations are better suited for flies. Also, for some of these locations we packed up the whole caravan and took a boat with us for trolling.

Grand Mesa Area – CO

Grand Mesa Lakes are located just south of Mesa and Collbran in Colorado, about 2 hours east of Grand Junction. It is the world’s largest flat-topped mountain. And it has over 150 miles of ATV and OHV trails running through beautiful forests. These forests include around 300 lakes and reservoirs and multiple opportunities for fishing. Trout are aplenty here, with over 7 different species in the lakes and streams. Our favorites include Bull Creek Basin, Mesa Creek and Granby Reservoir. There is a lot of camping in the area, and it is easily accessible from Mesa.

Apareen UTV Trails – UT

The Apareen Trail system has over 600 miles of trail to explore. These trails run through beautiful alpine forests and include over 53 fishing spots. Huntington Reservoir and Electric Lake on the northern trails and Jet Fox and Duck Fork Reservoirs closer to Manti, are a few of our favorite fishing spots. But the trail is what really makes this trip worth it. The view from Skyline Drive is amazing. There are several accommodations for camping and lodging in Manti and Fairview.

Brownlee Reservoir – ID

In the Payette National Forest, located on Idaho’s western border, you’ll find a fun little riding area. It is approximately 50 miles north of Boise in the Weiser Ranger District. Ride around Hitt or Sturgill peaks for some beautiful views. Then head west and make your way to Brownlee Reservoir. Brownlee Reservoir is a long, narrow reservoir along the Snake River in the Hells Canyon area. It has healthy populations of smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, catfish, crappie, yellow perch and stocked rainbow trout. In addition to finding some shore fishing along the trail, Woodhead park is just a bit up the road from the trailhead. There is a great campground here and a couple of boat ramps, if you’d like to fish from the water. You can access the riding areas from either the Mill Creek or Brownlee trailheads off highway 71.

Bighorn National Forest – WY

Bighorn National Forest offers some great OHV riding and fabulous fishing. At Meadowlark Lake you’ll find rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, brown trout and brook trout. East and West Tensleep lakes are also some of our favorites for trout fishing. There are a number of OHV trails and roads in the area, including forest roads that access some of the more remote lakes. There are also a lot of hiking trails in the Cloud Peak wilderness area with more access to great fishing holes. Camping at the Lake View Campground is fabulous, but there are a lot of other accommodations in the area. It’s easily accessible from Ten Sleep and Buffalo, along Highway 16.

Flaming Gorge – UT, WY

Flaming Gorge is a beautiful location for camping, riding and fishing. It is renowned as a trophy fishery. You’ll find lake trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, smallmouth bass, kokanee salmon and catfish here. In addition to the reservoir, Little Hole on the Green River is a great spot for fishing. Camping around the lake is great, and there are several riding opportunities in the area. You have your choice of scenery. Ride around the lake, hit the high Wyoming deserts or head to the high alpine forests of Ashley National Forest. The nearby Outlaw ATV Trail offeres great views of the Uinta Mountains, canyons, lakes and meadows. You are also not far from the Killpecker Dunes. Between fishing and riding you could spend several days here.

Fish Lake – UT

Fish Lake, located in central Utah, is known for its large lake trout and splake. It also has a good population of rainbow trout, tiger muskies and yellow perch. Shore fishing is fairly good in several spots around the lake, but the best fishing comes from being on the water. There are a lot of forest service roads and trails in the area. Hit up Crater Lakes, Johnson’s, Mill Meadow and Forsyth reservoirs for great riding and some more great fishing. You’ll find plenty of camping in the area. Fish Lake is approximately 45 minutes from Richfield in central Utah.

We love each of these places. Most are located in the west and are within driving distance for us. But this is a big country full of beauty and wonder. What fishing holes are the best where you live? Let us know in the comments below.