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Area Lakes

Currently, there are approximately 75 lakes on the Boulder Mountain that are considered viable fisheries by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources [UDWR]. These lakes range in elevation from 7,000-11,000ft. Locals will always argue over the actual number. Some are of the mistaken belief that there are hundreds or even thousands of lakes on the Boulder Mountain. For those who will continue to dispute the actual number of lakes here on Boulder Mountain, you may want to consider satellite imagery.  

Where fishing is concerned, there are certainly not hundreds of lakes. There remains between 70 - 80 lakes and ponds on this mountain that the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources [UDWR] considers viable fisheries, meaning that these waters are able to sustain trout. To sustain trout means that trout are able to survive the cold winter months and also survive the hot summer months for several Seasons. Most lakes here are stocked on an annual or biannual basis.

Those lakes on the "Top" or Aquarius Plateau are more likely to experience some winterkill during harsh winters. As you might expect, the winters at such high elevations [over 11,000ft.] are typically very harsh. However, those lakes found on the slopes below the rim are more likely to contain holdover trout. Trout in these lower elevation lakes often survive for many years without any significant losses due to winterkill.

Cutthroat trout, hybrid trout such as tiger trout Salvelinus fontinalis X Salmo trutta] and splake [Salvelinus namaycush X Salvelinus fontinalis], and brook trout thrive in the cold clear lakes hidden within the dense spruce and aspen forests below the rim.

There are features common to nearly every pond or lake in this area. Lakes on this mountain usually have a basalt boulder field on one or more sides, often extending into the lake. The bottoms of these lakes are also covered with these boulders. In fact, everywhere you walk, on the trails through the aspen and spruce forests and scattered about in the meadows you will see these black boulders. Most lakes will have several small springs supplying water, either along the shoreline and/or percolating upwards from the lake bottom.

There are numerous small shallow lakes and ponds scattered about that are nothing more than natural catch basins for snow melt. The lake shown in the image above happens to be one of the larger lakes on Boulder Mountain. This beautiful lake has been enhanced by a small manmade dam and is utilized for water storage. As such, it is subject to severe drawdown during the summer months and consequently is too shallow to sustain trout. Many of these waters do have historical place names and are quite full in early summer. However, by autumn they are nearly dry.

Shallow lakes and ponds like the one in the image above are not likely candidates for fish stocking programs as they just cannot holdover trout. Most of the lakes on the Aquarius Plateau are surrounded by boulders and dense spruce forest. The lakes of the Aquarius Plateau are numerous and very scenic. Some are easily located and very close to the rim.

In some cases, a short hike from the lake to the rim will reward visitors with breathtaking panoramic views over Capitol Reef National Park and the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. These days you can even pull out your cell phone or other mobile device and check your email from one of these scenic vistas. Other lakes like the one shown below are hidden in the spruce forest and can be more difficult to locate.

Most of these lakes were once accessible by four wheel drive vehicle. In recent years, the Forest Service has closed many of these roads. Many of these lakes also had multiple roads or rough tracks leading to them. In almost every case the roads led directly down to the shorelines at these waters. The resulting erosion has caused considerable silting. All of the lakes and ponds on the Aquarius Plateau and the Boulder Mountain are subject to some winterkill of fish from time to time. A partial winterkill can occur even under the best conditions. This is due in part to these waters being shallow and located at extreme elevations. Shallow waters covered by very thick layers of ice and snow cannot receive adequate sunlight and photosynthesis cannot occur. The natural springs that flow into and percolate upwards into these waters often cannot provide enough oxygen for all of the fish in the lake to survive the winter.

Various attempts at artificially oxygenating these waters have never proven reliable. Crude wind generated air pumps have been installed in the past, the rusted remains of which can still be found at some of these lakes, but these were all failed experiments. The real problem is the silt buildup in these lakes due to erosion from overgrazing by livestock and the roads leading downward to the edge of the water. Most of the lakes on the Boulder Mountain, and especially on the Boulder Top or Aquarius Plateau are quite shallow. Siltation has rendered many of these lakes incapable of overwintering trout. Consequently, fisheries have been lost to this recent phenomenon.

100 years or more of overgrazing by livestock has contributed to extensive erosion near some lakes. Summer thunderstorms are often very intense and occur almost daily on this high plateau. This frequent deluge washes an incredible amount of dry soil into the lakes and ponds from the roads. There has been so much buildup of silt over the last six decades, that many lakes that were once deeper and considered viable fisheries will no longer sustain trout. Six decades is about how long four wheel drive vehicles have been available to the average angler. Prior to World War Two, most people did not have access to a four wheel drive vehicle.

 

Timber harvesting on the Boulder Mountain began in the first half of the twentieth century. Early logging operations often used teams of horses and other draft animals to skid logs.

Timber operations in the 1920’s were responsible for the establishment of many roads on Boulder Mountain and the Aquarius Plateau. Many of the first logging roads were later improved upon and became the main roads that now dissect the area. However, it was the advent of the modern four wheel drive vehicle that really accelerated erosion into the lakes.

This erosion has intensified in the last two decades with the ever increasing popularity of ATV’s. It is specifically for this reason that environmental groups have pressured the Forest Service to take action and close many of these access roads and certainly all of the redundant access roads and tracks on the Aquarius Plateau. The Forest Service has implemented travel restrictions throughout the Dixie National Forest, and especially on the Boulder Mountain.

In order to ensure a quality wilderness experience for visitors and to preserve the habitat for fish and wildlife as well as curtail erosion, changes had to be made. In the late 1990’s many old roads and tracks were finally closed and rehabilitated [ripped] and in some cases even re-seeded. Now, more than a decade later, the results are very promising, as you can see in the image above. This beautiful trail through the aspen forest was once a very well-traveled road. Most trailheads to lakes have been established at a reasonable distance. The average hike is usually 1.5 miles. The greatest distance that you can expect to hike to most destinations here is 2.5 miles.

Many of the lakes on the slopes below the rim are surrounded by lush grassy meadows extending out into the lake. This wide and very wet grass border seems to encircle the entire lake, making it difficult if not impossible to cast from the shoreline. If you walk around the lake, and that can be quite a hike on some lakes, you will usually find a boulder field extending into the lake, making casting much easier. When wading in these lakes, don't be fooled by the harmless appearance of these shallow grassy areas. The basalt boulders are always there, hidden under the grass and in the silt. Wading here can be tricky. Always use caution when wading in these areas where the water often changes from shallow to deep very suddenly!

These rock slides are often indicative of the deeper area on most lakes. This is also where springs are often found. However, some of the best opportunities for hooking many large trout with a fly rod are found along the wet grassy shoreline.

Trout and especially large cutthroat will constantly cruise very close to the grassy edges. That is where much of their food source originates. Terrestrials and emerging insects such as midges, mayflies, caddisflies, damselflies and the much larger dragonflies like the familiar Green Darner [Anax junius] above are abundant in this grass. Learning to recognize these dragonflies and the other insects that you will encounter here, as well as the different stages of their life cycles will enable you to become more successful at catching the trout that feed upon them.

Some lakes like the one shown above are entirely surrounded by huge boulders. These large angular basalt boulders make hiking difficult and dangerous. Some of the rocks, as large as they are, will tilt suddenly when you walk on them. A fall here could result in severe injury or at the very least a broken rod!

The water is usually crystal clear in this lake. Water this clear offers anglers an excellent view of their quarry. The trout here are quite visible as they cruise along the shoreline. If the trout are cruising, then they are actively feeding. Timing their rise forms and casting your fly well out in front of them will often result in a take, if you have chosen the correct pattern.

Lakes on the Aquarius Plateau do not usually have such clear water. They often appear slightly off color or murky compared to the lakes below the rim. Fish are not usually visible other than their rise forms. These lakes can seem downright fishless at times. You can spend hours there and not see any obvious signs of trout. Remember, there are always percolating springs feeding these lakes with fresh cold oxygenated water.

In midsummer as snow pack on the roads melts, and most anglers are finally able to access these high elevation lakes, the ambient water temperatures are elevated to the point that trout will seek out these cold springs. The trout will school up along the rocky bottom where the springs are and unless you get your fly down to them, they will not budge.

Mid-September signals that a change in seasons is fast approaching the Boulder Mountain. The weather is still warm during the day, but the days are getting shorter and the aspen leaves are beginning to turn. By the first week of October the leaves are most colorful as seen in the image above. The fly fishing during these two fall months is absolutely superb!

 

The high elevation lakes of the Boulder Mountain and the Aquarius Plateau have traditionally been stocked with Yellowstone cutthroat [Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri] and brook trout [Salvelinus fontinalis]. These two species were the popular fish of the Boulder Mountain for many decades. However, in recent times, the trend has changed and although brookies are still stocked extensively on the Boulder Mountain and the Aquarius Plateau, the non-indigenous Yellowstone cutthroat are no longer stocked in this area and are being replaced with the more suitable native cutthroat such as the Bonneville cutthroat trout [Oncorhynchusclarkii utah] and the Colorado River cutthroat trout [Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus].

Tiger trout [Salvelinus fontinalis X Salmo trutta], splake [Salvelinus fontinalis X Salvelinus namaycush] shown in the image above, and even Arctic Grayling [Thymallus arcticus arcticus] have also been stocked in many of these lakes. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources [UDWR] utilizes aircraft to stock most of the back country lakes on Boulder Mountain.

The water temperature alone will persuade most anglers not to wet wade in these lakes. If not, the leaches that certainly inhabit all of these waters soon will! Having breathable chest waders with studded felt sole wading shoes will always pay off here. Make sure that you bring a waterproof breathable rain jacket to go with the waders for the inevitable thunderstorm. The Aquarius Plateau is definitely not the place to be unprepared for inclement weather. 

In the event that travel restrictions prevent you from bringing your waders and/or other equipment, don't worry. Your guide will provide waders and all necessary fly fishing equipment for you. If you would like to book a guided trip to fly fish for beautiful wild trout at one or more of the many fine lakes of Boulder Mountain this season, keep in mind that space is definitely limited and plan on booking early.

 

 

 

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