About Mirror Lake
Mirror Lake is one of the best-known fishing destinations in the Uinta Mountains and one of the easiest places to experience high-elevation fishing in Utah. Located along the Mirror Lake Highway (Utah SR-150), the lake sits at approximately 10,050 feet above sea level and is surrounded by the forests, meadows and rugged peaks of the High Uintas.
For anglers, Mirror Lake offers something that many mountain lakes do not: you can reach a true alpine fishing destination by car. You don't have to hike several miles into the wilderness to fish at 10,000 feet.
The lake is home to rainbow trout and brook trout, and its cold mountain water provides an excellent environment for trout.
But Mirror Lake is about more than just catching fish. It is also a great place to experience what makes fishing the Uintas different from fishing Utah's larger reservoirs.
My History With Mirror Lake
Mirror Lake has been one of those places that has been part of my fishing life for as long as I can remember. Growing up, my family would make the trip to the Uintas and camp at Mirror Lake. We would build campfires, hike, fish and spend our time enjoying the outdoors. It wasn't just a place we went to fish—it was a place where we learned to enjoy being outside together.
Some of my earliest fishing memories come from these trips. We learned the simple way, using a worm and a marshmallow and waiting for a trout to find it. You didn't need expensive fishing gear or a boat full of electronics. A simple rod, some bait and a little patience were enough to keep us busy.
Mirror Lake has also always been a great place to see wildlife. Over the years I have seen bald eagles, moose, deer, plenty of squirrels and all kinds of other interesting creatures around the lake and along the highway. You never really know what you are going to see while you are walking around the shoreline.
There was also a time when Mirror Lake was known for its albino trout. Seeing one of these unusual fish was always something special. They weren't a separate species, but their white coloration made them stand out from the other trout in the lake.
As I got older, Mirror Lake became part of my fly-fishing education as well. I learned to fly fish in the shallow water just off the boat launch. I spent time working small flies through the shallows and caught brook trout and tiger trout using scud imitations.
That is one of the things I like about Mirror Lake. It has been a place where I have been able to enjoy fishing at different stages of my life. I fished it as a kid with my family, learned some of the basics of fishing there, and eventually returned with a fly rod and started learning a completely different way to catch trout.
Today, when I visit Mirror Lake, I still think about those early camping trips. The lake has changed over the years, and so have I, but it is still one of those places where fishing is only part of the experience.
You can catch a trout, watch a moose walk through the trees, see an eagle overhead, sit around a campfire with your family or simply spend an afternoon exploring the shoreline.
For me, that is what makes Mirror Lake special.
Fish Species in Mirror Lake
Rainbow Trout
Rainbow trout are one of the most common trout anglers encounter in Utah, and they are well suited to the cold water found at high elevations.
At Mirror Lake, small spinners, spoons, bait and flies can all be effective.
Brook Trout
Brook trout are also found in Mirror Lake and throughout many of the high-elevation lakes and streams of the Uintas.
Brook trout are particularly well adapted to cold mountain water. In fact, brook trout are the primary management species in hundreds of Uinta Mountain lakes.
According to Utah DWR's High Uintas information, the department manages hundreds of mountain lakes for brook trout, cutthroat trout and other species. Because the growing season is so short at these elevations, trout growth can be relatively slow.
That is an important thing to understand when fishing the Uintas.
These aren't typically lakes where you should expect to catch huge trout.
Instead, the attraction is the combination of numbers, scenery, accessibility and the experience of catching a wild-feeling mountain trout in an alpine environment.
Fishing Mirror Lake
You don't need complicated equipment to fish Mirror Lake.
A light or ultralight spinning rod is a great choice. A small spinning reel spooled with light monofilament or fluorocarbon and a handful of small lures can be enough for an entire day.
Some good choices include:
Small inline spinners
Small spoons
Marabou jigs
Small trout lures
Worms and other legal bait
Small flies and nymphs
Utah DWR specifically recommends inline spinners, small spoons, marabou jigs and worms for trout fishing in high-elevation Utah waters.
Fishing From Shore
Shore fishing is one of the easiest ways to fish Mirror Lake.
Look for areas where the shoreline drops into deeper water, points that extend into the lake, and places where streams enter or leave the lake.
Early and late in the day can be particularly productive.
Because the water is cold and the fish are often shallow, you don't necessarily need to cast a long distance. A light spinning outfit allows you to make small, accurate casts around the shoreline.
One of my favorite things about this type of fishing is that you can keep your equipment simple.
You don't need a boat, electronics or a complicated collection of tackle.
A rod, reel, a few small lures and a pair of hiking shoes can be enough.
Fly Fishing Mirror Lake
Mirror Lake is also a good place to experiment with fly fishing.
Small trout in high-elevation lakes will feed on insects, aquatic invertebrates and other small food sources. Depending on the season, small dry flies, nymphs and leech patterns can be effective.
The surrounding lakes and streams of the Uintas also provide opportunities for anglers who want to explore beyond Mirror Lake.
One of the best parts of fishing the area is that you can start at an easily accessible lake such as Mirror Lake and then gradually work your way into more remote water.
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