Great Salt Lake

Boat Ramps: 6
Access Points: 6
Species: 9

Great Salt Lake is Utah's largest body of water, covering approximately 1,700 square miles. It is a terminal lake with no outlet, resulting in exceptionally high salinity levels—up to 27% in some areas, making it 8 times saltier than the ocean. The lake is a remnant of prehistoric Lake Bonneville and is very shallow, with an average depth of just 13 feet. Due to its extreme salinity, Great Salt Lake supports a unique ecosystem quite different from other Utah fishing destinations, with limited fish species but abundant brine shrimp and brine flies that make it a critical habitat for migratory birds.

Utah licenses and regulations4 to check before you go

Species & education

Learn what type of fish are at Great Salt Lake and what's needed to catch them.

Find which waters have the species you want to catch

Smallmouth Bass

Micropterus dolomieu

Brown Trout

Salmo trutta

Black Crappie

Pomoxis nigromaculatus

Black Bullhead

Ameiurus melas

Common Carp

Cyprinus carpio

Green Sunfish

Lepomis cyanellus

Mountain Whitefish

Prosopium williamsoni

White Bass

Morone chrysops

Yellow Perch

Perca flavescens

Fishing spots, boat ramps & amenities

Learn how to get on Great Salt Lake. Uncover great fishing access points, boat ramps, and all the facilities you need for an unforgettable day on the water. Some locations shown may border or include private property. Always check property boundaries and applicable regulations before visiting. onWater's Public & Private Land layer can help you plan your access with confidence.

REI - Farmington

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Know where you can legally fish on Great Salt Lake

See public and private land boundaries along the water, turn on private parcels with owner details to know where permission is required, and find land-trust parcels that offer permitted fishing access.

Utah licenses and regulations

Utah Boating Regulations

When using any type of watercraft to access a body of water, it is important to follow all federal, state, and local rules and regulations. These rules and regulations include boat permitting and licensing, invasive species inspections and stamps, life jacket and PFD rules, motor size and horsepower restrictions, noise limitations, restrictions on personal watercraft, and many more. Visit the web link below for the most current rules and regulations for this body of water.

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Utah Fishing License

If you’re 12 years of age or older, you must purchase a fishing license or a combination license to fish in Utah.

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Utah Fishing Regulations

This river has a variety of species and regulations, including potential floating and/or watercraft restrictions. Because this river is specially managed for species, seasons, angling methods, and watercraft, it is strongly encouraged you check all federal, state, and local regulations before fishing. Visit any of the links below, inquire locally, or contact a local fly shop to learn current regulations and restrictions.

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Utah Stream Access Laws

The law does not allow recreational water users (including anglers, kayakers, tubers, hunters and others) to walk on the private bed of a public waterbody. This means that if you are fishing or recreating in public water that flows over private property closed to trespass, you may not walk on the land beneath the water without obtaining landowner permission.

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Take Great Salt Lake with you

The onWater Fish app keeps this water's access points, species and conditions in your pocket, with the tools you use once you're there.

Use the map without signal
Download the map around Great Salt Lake to use it offline when coverage drops.
Log your catches here
Keep a private fishing journal for Great Salt Lake to find where and when fish are biting for you.
HD depth charts from Garmin
Find drop offs, ledges, channels, points and shallow flats with Garmin depth charts in the app.