- Home
- Things To Do
- Fishing
- Fishing Cedar City-Area

Fishing Cedar City-Area
- Weather: Sunny, 31F
One of the most popular summer activities in Utah is attending the annual Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City, but there’s also good fishing in the area.
Navajo Lake
If you are looking for a good spot to cast your line, head east out of Cedar City on Highway 14 with the goal of reaching Navajo Lake. This lake is a high altitude mountain fishing destination, located just over 9,000 feet. The roughly 40-minute drive traverses the open flats of Cedar City through a red rock canyon and forests of pine and quaking aspen.
Navajo Lake is a great place for a day trip or a weekend retreat. Because it’s not as busy as other lakes, there’s a better chance of snagging a prize catch. Be aware state officials are working on the water level issues and fishing should remain consistent if solutions are discovered.
About the Fish
Fishing has always been good for stocked rainbow trout and brook trout, but an experiment to help control non-game Utah chub has produced some monster hybrid trout. Splake, a sterile mix between a brook trout and a lake trout, are voracious fish eaters and love Utah chub. When the water remains high enough to sustain splake through the winter they grow quickly.
Splake up to 10 pounds have been caught at Navajo. Since the big trout enjoy Utah chub so much, many anglers start their trip to Navajo by fishing with worms to catch Utah chub. The chub are then used as bait or to tip lures.
Ice Fishing
Ice fishing can be very good for splake, but access usually requires a snowmobile.
Duck Creek Reservoir
If fishing is slow at Navajo, or you just want fish for the frying pan, head a little farther east on Highway 14 to nearby Duck Creek Reservoir. This small, high mountain lake (9,300 feet) is stocked heavily with rainbow trout and also gets a decent number of tiger trout — a hybrid mix between a brook trout and brown trout. Cutthroat roam these waters as well, but are illegal to harvest so make sure to release any that may find their way to your line. Tiger trout are limited to two per day at Duck Creek.
Asay Creek
Located five miles from Hatch, Asay Creek is an excellent place for fly fisherman to enjoy a day on the river. The blue ribbon water of this spring fed creek has regular pockets of crystal-clear pools, long runs and deep water. Brown trout are stocked in the creek and mountain whitefish are a native species, thanks to the depth of the creek. River access is through the town of Panguitch and the area is seldom crowded.
Discover More
Planning Resources
- Buy a Utah fishing license
- Fishing regulations in Utah
Learn more about fishing in Utah
Discover More
-
10 Top Stops Along the National Pioneer Mormon Heritage Area
Written By Matcha
5 minute read
Here are 10 of the best stops along Utah's Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area’s backroads and byways. Explore rich Mormon historic sites, awe-inspiring canyons and mountains and unforgettable outdoor adventures.
-
15 Non-Technical Slot Canyons
Written By Whitney Childers
7 minute read
You don’t have to be Spider-Man to explore some of the best slot canyons Utah has to offer. You just need to be ready for an adventure in tight spaces with huge photographic rewards
-
5 Expert Tips to Prepare for Your Utah National Parks Adventure
Written By Visit Utah
3 minute read
If you’re planning to visit Utah national parks for a hike, learn important tips to maximize your experience and keep you and your family safe.
-
7 Utah Artisan Cheeses to Try Now
Written By Darby Doyle
7 minute read
Taste delicious hand-crafted cheese from Utah dairies at farmers markets, restaurants and specialty shops. Visit Utah and find your favorite artisanal cheese.
-
A Van Lifer’s Guide to Responsible Travel in Southern Utah
Written By Kristen Bor
2 minute read
When Utah’s dirt roads are calling you, it’s time to plan your van life road trip. Here’s what you need to know to travel safely, support Utah’s rural communities, and help preserve the delicate desert landscapes.
-
A Winter’s Desert: Visiting Southern Utah in the Slow Months
Written By Brinley Froelich
7 minute read
Experiencing the peace of canyon country in the winter is an attraction of its own.
-
Alpine Fishing Above the Red Rock Landscapes of Southern Utah
Written By Visit Utah
2 minute read
Sitting just outside of Capitol Reef National Park, this 11,000-foot peak offers views of the surrounding red canyons and desert-like region. In contrast, Boulder Mountain is heavily forested and home to more than 80 lakes, ponds, and reservoirs. With an average rainfall multiple inches more than the lower regions, the area makes for some surprisingly good fishing.
-
An Insider’s Guide to Torrey
Written By Melissa Fields
4 minute read
Look no further than Capitol Reef National Park and nearby Torrey for lesser-traveled red-rock hikes, plenty of lodging options, satisfying dining and night sky as our ancestors knew it.
-
Artisan Cheese in Red Rock Country
Written By Darby Doyle
8 minute read
Two decades ago, Randy Ramsley traded his Dockers-and-tie city job for a 50 acre plot of land that he called a “Garden of Weedin” and the dream of establishing a sustainable farmstead. Now travelers from all over the globe know the small market and counter-service restaurant at Mesa Farm as a refreshing “must-do” respite seemingly plunked in the middle of nowhere on Highway 24 east of Capitol Reef National Park.
-
Gravity and Water: Mark Making in a Winter’s Desert with Anne Kaferle
Written By Brinley Froelich
3 minute read
Finding Helper at a time when she “needed it the most,” landscape artist Anne Kaferle has put down roots in Utah, thanks to plein-air painting and the healing power of time alone in the landscape.
-
Hiking the Desert in Capitol Reef National Park
Written By Visit Utah
-
How to Slow Travel in Utah
Written By Elainna Ciaramella
Avoid the mad scramble and consider slow travel as a better approach to your Utah trip.
-
Meet the Women Leading Utah's Food and Beverage Renaissance
Written By Darby Doyle
When it comes to food and beverage in Utah, there are key influencers who have been the proponents of change, growth, and the role of women in Utah’s food scene.
-
Mesa Farm Market
Best local shops and healthy eats near Moab and Capitol Reef. Try the goat cheese!
-
Moonscapes, Marscapes and More
Written By Matcha
If you want to know what Mars looks like — then the dramatic terrain of Capitol Reef National Park and the surrounding lands are a good place to start.
-
Paradise and Slickrock
Written By Stephen Trimble
Utah's national parks seen through a lifelong relationship with Capitol Reef
-
Permit of Solitude in Robbers Roost
Written By Visit Utah
6 minute read
Local guide Christopher Hagedorn leads a group through Robbers Roost in Southern Utah, where wind, water and time has left a primitive maze of canyons.
-
Searching for Dinosaur Bones in Capitol Reef Country
Written By Matcha
4 minute read
The Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry dates back to the Jurassic Period and is approximately 150 feet wide by 600 feet long. Hundreds of dinosaur bones have been discovered here, including those of the Stegosaurus, Brontosaurus and Brachiosaurus.
-
See the Fall Leaves Near Utah's National Parks
Written By Visit Utah
Sure, any of Utah’s Mighty 5 national parks are spectacular year round — covered in snow, peppered with spring wildflowers, and baked in sunshine. But find them exponentially special when the changing fall leaves are in juxtaposition to the immaculate red rock cliffs.
-
Serenity Found in Torrey and Capitol Reef’s Cathedral Valley District
Written By Melissa Fields
5 minute read
Taking Southern Utah’s remote, less-traveled path in Capitol Reef's Cathedral Valley District to nurture your body, mind and spirit.
-
The All-American Road: Scenic Byway 12
Written By Visit Utah
4 minute read
This is 122.863 miles (to be exact) of pure driving bliss. Welcome to Utah’s Scenic Byway 12, a designated All-American Road.
-
The Return to Robbers Roost
Written By Lindy Blanchette
10 minute read
Are you intrigued by the old American West legend involving Robbers Roost? Want to find an alleged hideout of the infamous Butch Cassidy and Gang? Explore Utah.
-
Utah’s Unexpected Pit Stops
Written By Melissa McGibbon
5 minute read
You’re doing it wrong if you think road trip pit stops are boring layovers on your way to more exciting destinations. How many of these hidden gems have you been to? Here are 11 mini-adventures to check off your list next time you’re road-tripping through Utah.
-
Walking Off the Ledge Into Capitol Reef
Written By Paula Colman
6 minute read
Capitol Reef is breathtaking, but as you stare across the ledge you realize that some of the best scenery is only accessible by dropping in, 20, 50, sometimes 100 feet or more.
-
Winter Road Trip: Where to Stay, Hike and Eat When Traveling from Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon
Written By Jeremy Pugh
Need winter break ideas? Take a road trip from Capitol Reef to Bryce Canyon and enjoy the best of Utah landscapes during its quiet season.