Bear Lake Fishing Regulations
Rich County, Utah · 2026 size limits, bag limits, and seasons
Bear Lake is a lake in Rich County, Utah. It has its own fishing regulations for 8 species, including Bonneville Cisco, Cutthroat Trout, Brook Trout, and Brown Trout, set separately for 2 sections of the lake. These rules replace Utah's statewide limits on this water.
Fish with special rules on Bear Lake
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Bear Lake limits by species (2026)
Entire lake
| Species | Size limit | Daily bag | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Fish SpeciesWhen ice fishing for fish other than cisco, the size of the hole may not exceed 18 inches. · A person may not possess a multipoint hook with a weight permanently or rigidly attached directly to the shank—or a weight suspended below a multipoint hook—unless the hook is on an unweighted dropper line that is at least three inches long. | – | – | Always open |
 Bonneville CiscoMay be taken with a handheld dipnet (max 18 inch opening). When dipnetting through ice, hole size is unrestricted. · Anglers may keep snagged Bonneville cisco that are taken through normal, legal fishing activities. | – | – | Always open |
 Brook Trout | – | 2 | Always open |
 Brown Trout | – | 2 | Always open |
 Cutthroat Trout | – | 2 | Always open |
 Golden Trout | – | 2 | Always open |
 Lake Trout | – | 2 | Always open |
 Rainbow Trout | – | 2 | Always open |
 Steelhead | – | 2 | Always open |
Entire lake
| Species | Size limit | Daily bag | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonneville CiscoIce fishing for non-cisco: hole max 18" · May take cisco with a handheld dipnet — net opening max 18"; ice hole size unrestricted · Multipoint hook must not be weighted/rigidly attached to shank or suspended below — unless on unweighted dropper line ≥ 3 inches | – | 30 | Year-round |
| Cutthroat TroutBear Lake (Rich County) — UT or ID license valid on both portions · Even if licensed in both states, only one daily limit per day · Anglers must comply with regulations of the state in which they are fishing | – | 2 | Year-round |
– means no limit is listed for this water. Rules not shown here follow Utah's statewide regulations.
Plan your Bear Lake trip
Bear Lake fishing: common questions
What fish have special regulations on Bear Lake?
8 species have rules specific to Bear Lake: Bonneville Cisco, Cutthroat Trout, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Golden Trout, Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Steelhead.
What is the bonneville cisco limit on Bear Lake?
No size limit is listed for Bonneville Cisco on Bear Lake (entire lake). Rules differ across 2 sections of the lake.
What is the cutthroat trout limit on Bear Lake?
No size limit is listed for Cutthroat Trout on Bear Lake (entire lake), and the daily bag limit is 2. Rules differ across 2 sections of the lake.
What is the brook trout limit on Bear Lake?
No size limit is listed for Brook Trout on Bear Lake (entire lake), and the daily bag limit is 2.
Do Utah statewide fishing rules apply on Bear Lake?
Where Bear Lake has its own rule for a species, that rule replaces the statewide limit. For species not listed on this page, Utah's statewide regulations apply. Regulations are set by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources; confirm with the official 2026 regulations before keeping a fish.
Other Utah waters with special regulations
- Logan River · Cache
- Green River · Carbon, Daggett, Emery, Grand, San Juan, Uintah and Wayne
- Flaming Gorge Reservoir · Daggett
- Provo River · Summit, Utah and Wasatch
- Calder Reservoir · Uintah
- Kolob Reservoir · Washington
- Lake Powell · Garfield, Kane and San Juan
- Weber River · Summit
- Fish Lake · Sevier
- Minersville Reservoir · Beaver
- Panguitch Lake · Garfield
- Hobbs Reservoir · Davis
Take Bear Lake rules on the water
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