Strawberry River

Utah·Northeastern Utah·40.16° N, 110.87° W

Flow

39.8 CFS

Strawberry River at Pinnacles near Fruitland

Water Temp

—

Condition

Well Below Normal

Weather

67°F

Mostly Cloudy

near Tabiona

Insights

Pressure

Pressure dropping

Fish often move up to feed before a front.

Sky

Overcast skies

Subsurface streamers and nymphs are favored.

Flow

Low flows at 39.8 CFS

Fish are spooky. Lighten tippet and lengthen leaders.

The Strawberry most anglers mean is the tailwater below Soldier Creek Dam, the outlet of Strawberry Reservoir, where the river runs east through a red-rock canyon toward the Strawberry Pinnacles near Fruitland. It is a small, cold, artificial-flies-and-lures-only stream that Utah rates a Blue Ribbon fishery, and it fishes nothing like the big reservoir upstream. Think tight canyon water: deep undercut pools, beaver ponds, willow tunnels, and moss-lined runs holding wary wild browns from roughly 13 to 18 inches, with the odd rainbow and reservoir-escapee cutthroat mixed in. The dam release keeps it cold and fishable when the freestone Uinta streams are blown out, and the fish here have seen enough flies to make a sloppy drift pointless.

This is a wade fishery, and a technical, small-water one. Flows at the Pinnacles gauge typically run low — tens of CFS, often 30 to 60 in summer — so it is delicate presentation with light tippet, small nymphs, and short accurate casts into pockets, not big-water high-sticking. The signature window is late June into early July, when golden stoneflies and green drakes come off and the biggest browns will eat a dry; from mid-July through August it settles into Yellow Sallies, caddis, PMDs, and terrestrials, with a bead-head nymph dropper the most consistent producer once the peak hatches fade. Below the Pinnacles the river opens into more freestone water as it heads toward Starvation Reservoir, and there is a second, separate Blue Ribbon reach below Starvation Dam down to the Duchesne River that holds noticeably bigger, harder-fighting browns.

The trade-off is access and remoteness. This is the Uinta Basin, roughly three hours from Salt Lake over Daniels Summit, with no fly shop in Duchesne itself — the nearest expertise is the Falcon's Ledge lodge to the northeast near Talmage and guides who run out of the Wasatch Front. Stretches of the lower river cross Ute Indian Tribe reservation land, where a separate tribal license is required, so verify boundaries before you fish. The special-regulation canyon section also prohibits overnight camping on Division land. It is a rewarding, uncrowded technical stream if you are willing to drive and fish small water carefully.

Species

Brown Trout
Abundant · Jun-Oct · 13-18"
The dominant species and the fish the tailwater is managed for. Wild, wary, and year-round in the canyon; the biggest browns come up during the late-June golden stone and green drake window. The reach below Starvation Dam holds noticeably larger fish, with mid-20-inch browns possible.
Rainbow Trout
Common · Jun-Sep · 10-16"
Mixed in below Soldier Creek Dam and supplemented by UDWR plants of catchable rainbows on the lower river. Aggressive and fewer than the browns; take nymphs and dries through the summer hatches.
Cutthroat Trout
Occasional · Jun-Sep · 12-18"
Bear Lake-strain cutthroat drop down out of Strawberry Reservoir into the upper tailwater. Reservoir escapees rather than a self-sustaining river population, but a good one can eat a dry in the canyon.
Mountain Whitefish
Common · Year-round · 10-15"
Native to the mainstem and everywhere on the lower freestone water. Takes nymphs readily and keeps a slow day interesting between trout.
Brook Trout
Occasional · Jul-Sep · 6-12"
Small fish scattered through the canyon and tributary water. Willing on attractor dries and small nymphs when you find them.

Species	Abundance	Best Season	Size	Notes
Brown Trout	Abundant	Jun-Oct	13-18"	The dominant species and the fish the tailwater is managed for. Wild, wary, and year-round in the canyon; the biggest browns come up during the late-June golden stone and green drake window. The reach below Starvation Dam holds noticeably larger fish, with mid-20-inch browns possible.
Rainbow Trout	Common	Jun-Sep	10-16"	Mixed in below Soldier Creek Dam and supplemented by UDWR plants of catchable rainbows on the lower river. Aggressive and fewer than the browns; take nymphs and dries through the summer hatches.
Cutthroat Trout	Occasional	Jun-Sep	12-18"	Bear Lake-strain cutthroat drop down out of Strawberry Reservoir into the upper tailwater. Reservoir escapees rather than a self-sustaining river population, but a good one can eat a dry in the canyon.
Mountain Whitefish	Common	Year-round	10-15"	Native to the mainstem and everywhere on the lower freestone water. Takes nymphs readily and keeps a slow day interesting between trout.
Brook Trout	Occasional	Jul-Sep	6-12"	Small fish scattered through the canyon and tributary water. Willing on attractor dries and small nymphs when you find them.

Ideal wading flow30–120 CFS

Blow-out>300 CFS

Ideal water temp48–62°F

Late June into early July is prime — golden stoneflies and green drakes bring the biggest browns to the top. Mid-July through September is the most reliable dry-dropper stretch, with Yellow Sallies, caddis, PMDs, and terrestrials. Fall BWOs and winter midges keep the dam-cold tailwater fishing year-round. Fish early on hot days when low late-summer flows warm the freestone reach below the Pinnacles.

Sections

3 sections on this river

Below Starvation Dam to the Duchesne River

WadeBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout

A separate, short Blue Ribbon, artificial-flies-and-lures-only section from Starvation Reservoir dam down to where the Strawberry empties into the Duchesne River, about 3 to 4 miles northwest of Duchesne town. Holds the biggest, hungriest brown trout on the system — anglers report noticeably larger, harder-fighting fish than the upper canyon. Access at the Duchesne fairgrounds and off US-40. No live streamgage covers this reach. Portions cross Ute reservation land, where a tribal license is required.

Best for: Big brown trout on streamers worked through the pools. The trophy water of the system for anglers willing to fish it carefully.

Soldier Creek Dam to the Pinnacles

WadeCutthroat · Brown Trout · Rainbow Trout

The core fishery and the special-regulation water — roughly 12 miles of cold canyon tailwater from Soldier Creek Dam, the outlet of Strawberry Reservoir, down to the Strawberry Pinnacles where Avintaquin and Red creeks come in near Fruitland. Deep pools, beaver ponds, undercut banks, moss, and willow-lined runs holding wary wild brown trout, with rainbow trout and reservoir-escapee cutthroat trout mixed in. Named access at Center Park below the dam, Sheep Bridge, and The Pinnacles. Artificial flies and lures only, Blue Ribbon.

Best for: Technical wade fishing for wild brown trout, rainbow trout, and cutthroat trout on delicate nymph rigs and dry-dropper. Known for the late-June golden stonefly and green drake window when the biggest browns come up.

Pinnacles to Starvation Reservoir

WadeBrown Trout · Rainbow Trout · Whitefish

Below Red Creek the river opens into more freestone-character water as it heads east toward Starvation Reservoir near Duchesne. A bigger drainage than the tailwater above and warmer than the dam release, holding brown trout and mountain whitefish. Second-half-of-July Yellow Sallies, caddis, and PMDs fish well here.

Best for: Brown trout and mountain whitefish on nymphs and streamers through more open freestone water. Fishes best mid-July onward once the lower river drops.

Regulations

Current fishing rules and restrictions

Managed by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Two special-regulation reaches are Blue Ribbon and artificial flies and lures only: the canyon from the Red Creek confluence near the Pinnacles up to Soldier Creek Dam, and the reach from Starvation Reservoir dam down to the Duchesne River. Statewide trout rules apply where not otherwise specified. Regulations are revised annually — confirm the current UDWR guidebook before fishing.

Strawberry River from the Red Creek confluence near the Pinnacles upstream to Soldier Creek Dam: artificial flies and lures only (Blue Ribbon), including all flowing water, standing water, and instream lakes and ponds
Strawberry River from Starvation Reservoir dam downstream to the Duchesne River: artificial flies and lures only (Blue Ribbon)
No overnight camping on Division land in the special-regulation canyon reach
Strawberry Reservoir tributaries carry additional catch-and-release and seasonal-closure rules — verify the specific tributary before fishing
Valid Utah fishing license required for anglers 12 and older

Portions of the lower river cross Ute Indian Tribe reservation land, where a separate tribal fishing license (about $40/year) is required. Verify reservation boundaries with OnX or an equivalent before fishing. Regulations change on the 2025-2026 cycle — confirm before you go.

Source: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Regulations change annually — verify before fishing.

Access & Logistics

Getting there, fly shops, and lodging

Getting There

Duchesne, UT

2.5-3 hrs from Salt Lake City via US-40 over Daniels Summit, 45 min from Roosevelt

Camping & Lodging

Fred Hayes State Park at Starvation and the Strawberry Reservoir National Forest campgrounds cover camping at either end. Note that overnight camping is prohibited on Division land in the special-regulation canyon reach. Limited motel services in Duchesne and Roosevelt; fuller amenities in Vernal to the east.

Remote by Utah tailwater standards. Named canyon access points below Soldier Creek Dam include Center Park (immediately below the dam, high fish density), Sheep Bridge (easy access), and The Pinnacles (steep, deep pools, the most technical water). The below-Starvation reach is accessed at the Duchesne fairgrounds and off US-40. Stretches of the lower river cross Ute reservation land — a tribal license is required there.

Conditions data is live from public monitoring networks. Regulations change annually — always verify current rules with your state fish & wildlife agency before fishing.

More in Utah

View all 14 rivers

Northeastern Utah

Currant CreekUT

A small, cold, dam-fed stream draining Currant Creek Reservoir southeast through a willow-choked canyon to the Strawberry River near Fruitland. Walk-and-wade beaver-pond water for wild browns and rainbows on attractors and terrestrials, with an artificial-fly-and-lure-only reach above the Water Hollow Creek confluence.

Duchesne RiverUT

The biggest freestone draining the south slope of the Uintas, and a genuinely good wild-trout river above Tabiona — pocketwater browns, native Colorado River cutthroat, and one of northeastern Utah's most reliable naturally reproducing mountain whitefish populations. Two Blue Ribbon reaches (the West Fork and the Hanna-to-North-Fork main stem), a season that opens with the second-Saturday-of-July spawning-closure lift, and terrestrial fishing that carries it through September.

Green RiverUT

The tailwater below Flaming Gorge Dam through Red Canyon — gin-clear water and one of the highest wild-trout densities in the country, with browns and rainbows stacked in the A Section. Sight-fish the upper river, float the canyon below, and time the famous cicada hatch in late May and June.

Other regions

Bear RiverUT

The high-country headwaters of the 491-mile Bear River, a small snowmelt freestone draining the north slope of the Uintas along the Mirror Lake Highway. Wild browns, brook trout, and native Bear River cutthroat on attractor dries, with a genuinely short July-through-September season.

Beaver RiverUT

A small, overlooked Tushar Mountains freestone off SR-153 east of Beaver — pocket water and plunge pools for stocked and holdover rainbows, wild browns, and brook trout, plus a DWR-restored valley reach below town where the 18-20" brown stories come from. Wade-only, snowmelt-driven, and best July through October.

Blacksmith ForkUT

The Logan River's big southern tributary — a freestone canyon stream off the Bear River Range that runs down Blacksmith Fork Canyon along SR-101. Fast pocket water and boulder runs full of wild browns, plus one of the only true salmonfly hatches in Utah.

Diamond ForkUT

A small, dam-regulated canyon creek in Spanish Fork Canyon 20 minutes from Provo, holding wild browns and native Bonneville cutthroat in classic pocket water. Central Utah Project flows keep it fishable year-round, and roadside FR-029 access makes it the Wasatch Front's easy weeknight small stream.

Fremont RiverUT

A remote high-desert brown trout river below the Fish Lake plateau — a small, brushy freestone tailwater up top and cold spring-fed big-fish water near Bicknell, where browns to 24-30" are reported. Wade-only, low-flow, and largely private outside Bicknell Bottoms.

Logan RiverUT

A freestone canyon river dropping out of the Bear River Range through Logan Canyon along US-89. Wild browns and mountain whitefish in the lower water, native Bonneville cutthroat upstream, and technical pocket water that rewards a careful approach.