Granddaddy Lakes Utah Fishing the high Uinta Mountains. Located off the Grandview Trailhead on the south slope of the Uinta Mountains. This area has some of the best hike-to-fishing lakes in the Uintas. Granddaddy Basin is close to Salt Lake City, but not as busy as the Mirror Lake highway. With so many beautiful lakes across the sub-alpine meadows, the Uintas are a fisherman's paradise. And for ease of access, you can't beat the Mirror Lake Highway with the drive-up lake shores that the whole family can enjoy. If you're looking for a little more adventure backpacking Granddaddy Basin and fishing the many lakes might just be the high-mountain family adventure you're looking for.
- The scenery here is amazing! Rocky peaks rise from the lake shores.
- If you can build up the courage, these lakes offer cliff jumping.
- Many great camping locations 7 miles in. Easy enough for my 7-year-old kid, but far enough from crowds.
- Close to the Wasatch Front
Where is Granddaddy Basin?
Granddaddy Basin is close to the Wasatch Front
Grandview Trailhead is located just 61-miles east of where I live near Salt Lake City.
Getting there is the same as going to the Mirror Lake Highway the only difference is you take a right turn in Kamas instead of a Left. A passenger vehicle is suitable to drive to the trailhead.
How many miles to hike to Granddaddy Lake?
How many miles to hike to Granddaddy Lake?
Grandaddy Lake via Grandview Trailhead is 7.2 mile hike and 1,305 ft elevation gain.
Fishing Granddaddy Lakes Basin Utah
source: Red Rock Adventures
"Granddaddy Lake — Called Granddaddy because it is the largest natural lake in all of the Uintas, it is also the most heavily used lake in the whole basin. The most unique thing about this lake is that it is one of the few naturally-reproducing lakes in the Uintas. Brook and cutthroat trout inhabit this lake and the size of some of these fish might surprise you. Do the lake a favor and only keep a few fish. So many people use and visit this lake that we need to be careful how we treat it. The hike in is about 3.5 miles and the trail is well marked. Firewood is hard to come by, and your best bet for water is a piped spring on the southwest side of the lake.
Betsy Lake and Mohawk Lake — These two lakes are within shouting distance of Granddaddy Lake and are less heavily visited. Campsites are plentiful and the firewood is more abundant at Mohawk but the fishing is usually faster at Betsy. Both lakes have brook and cutthroat trout in them, and be sure not to ignore the stream that connects the lakes.
Palisade Lake — Deep in the heart of the Granddaddy Basin lies my favorite lake. I first visited it as a 13-year-old Boy Scout. The fishing isn't the best, the bugs are bad, there is no spring water and firewood is tough to come by, but I have a special place in my heart for this lake. It is about a 7-mile hike through a lot of swamp-filled meadows and hit and miss trails, but once you visit this lake you'll understand why it is my favorite. The camping is incredible, the view is awesome and if you want a little extra excitement, you can cliff-dive off the west side and then lie on some flat rocks warmed by the sun. As for the fishing— try a spinner at the northwest corner of the lake. There are some lily pads in a small cove that might have a few nice surprises waiting under them for you. The most important thing to remember at palisade is to just enjoy the scenery.
Pine Island Lake — Pine Island is about a 6-mile hike from the Grandview Trail head. It is a pretty popular lake, and rightfully so. It's a deep lake with brook and cutthroat trout. It has great campsites and a terrific view. I don't know of any spring water, and you have to hunt for firewood, but it is there. This is a tough lake to use a fly rod on because it is so thick with pine trees, but a worm, Powerbait, or even small spinners should produce enough fish for a good meal. When I visited this lake as a kid there was a rope swing on the east end, near the trail. If it is still there it would be a good way to relax, if you don't mind cold water. If Pine Island doesn't work out, head about 250 yards southeast of the lake and you'll find Lilypad Lake. It's a small, shallow lake loaded with brook trout that like to hit spinners. It's off the beaten path, so you might find some solitude there.
Pinto and Governor Dern Lakes — these two lakes are within a stone's-throw of one another and are comparable as far as fishing goes. I've caught both brook and cutthroat out of Governor Dern, but only brook out of pinto. Pinto is a much deeper lake and it is also more popular. Both lakes have plenty of camping spots and firewood. Governor Dern has spring water on the east and north sides. Both these lakes are a favorite spot for boy scouts. They are a moderate 9-mile hike from the Grandview Trail Head, and worth every mile.
Fern Lake — Fern is a great place to visit. It is off the beaten trail just enough that people seem not to bother with it. It's about a 6-mile hike in, and sits about one half mile from any noticeable trail. I am always amazed at the amount and quality of brook trout I catch there. Fish well over two pounds and 18 inches inhabit this lake and a small dry fly will bring them to the surface. Release these monsters so they can continue to grow. Spring water is located on the west part of this lake and firewood isn't a problem. There are a couple of nice campsites around, but don't worry about it being crowded. This is one place you might want to keep to yourself.
Fish Hatchery Lake — Sometimes this lake is a slam-dunk for fishing and other times it's not so good. It's about a 5-mile hike in, and the lake is over 20 feet deep. I never have been able to figure this one out. It has good campsites, plenty of firewood, and spring water, so it's a little more popular than other lakes. When the fishing is good you can catch brook and cutthroat on everything from spinners and flies to worms and leftover Ramen noodles, but when it's bad, you might as well take a nap and come back later.
By the way, don't overlook Hades Lake or the stream on the way from Pine Island to Governor Dern. That stream is a great place to throw a fly and catch pan-sized fish all day. And when I say all day, I mean it."
Granddaddy Lakes Utah Fishing
source: Red Rock Adventures
My experience in Grandaddy Basin will make a good story when we get older. I wanted to take my daughter backpacking so I picked out Granddaddy Lake. It showed a trailhead from Still Water Dam that looked pretty straightforward. I wasn't sure about the distance but since I was backpacking I figured I'd have my tent if we couldn't make it the whole distance. Now to make a long, long, long, story short... The second half of this hike, you're up on a rock bench, above a creek drainage with no place for a tent ANYWHERE. My 7-year-old hiked 16 miles 3,200 verticle feet until we reached the first suitable tent site. (near Fern Lake) It was dark but I was thankful we made it. We stayed there the night then moved camp near Grandaddy Lake. We visited Fern, Lodgepole, Granddaddy, and Betsy Lakes. We had the best luck fishing Granddaddy Lake. Probably because that's where we spent the most time. My daughter caught her first fish here and it was a cutthroat trout. The last day we didn't hike back out the way we hiked in, because it was too difficult. We hiked 7 miles out to the Grandview trailhead. In the parking lot, we pleaded with folks to help us get back to our car. About 3 parties couldn't help, but a gentleman with his kiddos, likely seeing the desperation in our eyes, helped us out.
THANK YOU WASATCH WILL!