Deer Creek Reservoir
Toxic algae bloom at Deer Creek
- Keep dogs out of the water — blooms can be deadly for them
- Don’t swim, and steer clear of scum when wading or boating
- Don’t drink the water
- Keeping fish? Discard the guts and rinse fillets in clean water
- East Wallsburg BayWarning
- South Basin Boat RampWarning
- Island Park MarinaWarning
- Rainbow BayWarning
Today’s report
Deer Creek Reservoir is under a Warning advisory today. The advisory is for a harmful algal bloom at 4 monitored sites and replaces the fishing rating until it’s lifted — keep dogs out of the water and check habs.utah.gov before you go. The reservoir is 49% full, well below the usual 63% for this time of year, and rising over the last month. The DWR last stocked rainbow trout (1,002 fish) on June 24. This Afternoon's forecast: mostly sunny, 67°F, 3% chance of precip.
- Warning advisory posted (algal bloom) — it replaces the fishing rating until it’s lifted
- calm, fishable weather
Fishing Deer Creek Reservoir: what to know
Deer Creek is the 3,000-acre reservoir at the bottom of the Heber Valley, an hour from Salt Lake on US-189, with a state park, two ramps, and shore access along the highway and at the Wallsburg and Charleston arms. It's a mixed fishery — rainbows and browns, walleye, yellow perch, smallmouth and largemouth bass — and a windy one; sailors and kiteboarders own the afternoons.
Walleye stage near the dam and the rocky points in April as the water warms through the 40s; rainbows are stocked and bite from shore all spring. Summer sends trout deep and brings the bass and perch bite, best early. Fall is good for browns near the Provo inlet and walleye again. Deer Creek freezes most years by mid-January and the perch through the ice draw a crowd on the Wallsburg arm.
Trout from shore with PowerBait or a worm off the bottom, or trolling a Rapala or pop gear along the drop-offs. Walleye: jig and minnow or a bottom-bouncer and crawler harness along the rocky shoreline at dusk. Bass: plastics on the rock piles. Perch in winter on tiny jigs tipped with a wax worm. Statewide limits apply, with the usual note that walleye numbers fluctuate and the DWR manages them accordingly.
Current conditions
Stocking
Last stocked Jun 24, 2026 — rainbow trout (1,002 fish).
| Date | Species | Quantity | Avg length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 24, 2026 | rainbow trout | 1,997 | 10.48" |
| Jun 24, 2026 | rainbow trout | 1,002 | 10.8" |
| May 28, 2026 | rainbow trout | 8,940 | 9.49" |
| May 28, 2026 | rainbow trout | 9,536 | 9.49" |
| Mar 18, 2026 | rainbow trout | 750 | 9.46" |
| Mar 17, 2026 | rainbow trout | 1,322 | 9.46" |
| Mar 11, 2026 | rainbow trout | 2,803 | 9.46" |
| Mar 11, 2026 | rainbow trout | 2,641 | 9.46" |
Best time to fish Deer Creek Reservoir
The DWR has stocked Deer Creek Reservoir 175 times over the last 5 seasons, and 53% of those plants landed in June, October, November — the freshest fish and the easiest bite usually follow within a week or two of a stocking.
Species
Location
Nearby waters (within ~25 mi):
Guides & shops for this water
From our independent directory — no booking relationship.
Regulations
- No limit on black bullhead catfish. Anglers must not release any black bullhead catfish they catch. All black bullhead catfish must be immediately killed.
Special rules from the 2026 Utah Fishing Guidebook. Statewide daily limits apply to anything not listed. Rules change — always verify in the current guidebook before you fish.