4 lesser-known, family-friendly lakes to visit this summer

4 lesser-known, family-friendly lakes to visit this summer

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THE GREAT OUTDOORS — From boating to fishing, Utah's lakes provide a bevy of outdoor activities. With the booming population and a growing interest in outdoor recreation, however, Utah's go-to lakes for family recreation are more crowded than ever.

That's why you should make a trip to Daggett County and visit these four lesser-known lakes if you want more water time to yourself.

Green's Lake

Located within the property of Red Canyon Lodge, Green's Lake is stocked with tiger trout and trophy-sized rainbows. You don't need a fishing license to fish these lakes, and they bodies of water are free to fish if you stay at the Red Canyon Lodge.

If you're just stopping by, though, there's a $5 fee to fish the catch-and-release, artificial fly-and-lure-only lake.

Aside from the fishing, Green's Lake is great for paddle boarding, canoes and rafts — all in a secluded alpine setting.

Sheep Creek

Continuing past the Red Canyon turnoff on Highway 44 in Daggett County, Sheep Creek Lake is another great location for relative privacy.

You'll travel a dirt road for 9.5 miles after the Sheep Creek turnoff — north of Red Canyon — before reaching the wide, deep lake.

Camping, rafting, swimming and fishing are popular activities at this body of water. There's a primitive boat ramp for launching canoes, drift boats and even small motorized boats. The lake is home to trophy cutthroat trout, and if the rumors are true, record-sized brook trout as well.

Other smaller lakes dot the Sheep Creek region, though the solitude you can find among the lodgepole pine trees is nearly unbeatable in this corner of Utah.

Matt Warner Reservoir

Located on Diamond Mountain (and in Uintah County), Matt Warner is an underutilized fishery. The boat ramp is large enough to support reasonable-sized fishing boats, the lake is deep and big and the fish are some of the best you'll find in northeast Utah.

This lake receives less fishing pressure than others in the area and produces trophy rainbow trout on a consistent basis. It's worth the longer drive to experience what this reservoir can offer in both boating and fishing opportunities.

Diamond Mountain is one of the more secluded areas in the state and the camping experiences there are hard to beat. You'll likely see some of the resident elk or the once-in-a-lifetime buck mule deer that call the mountain home.

Mustang Ridge

So this is technically a specific area of Flaming Gorge Reservoir, but Mustang Ridge is an ideal location for family boating and other recreation. There's a sandy beach just a few minutes from the boat ramp, and the bays around Mustang Ridge are usually shielded from the wind. This lets you see straight down into the clear, aquamarine waters of Flaming Gorge, and if you're lucky, you'll see giant smallmouth bass and rainbow trout swimming.

This is a popular area for swimming because it's less crowded than Antelope Flats or Sheep Creek, and is located close to the town of Dutch John.

Where are your favorite local places to take the family out for a boating or fishing trip? Let us know in the comments.


![Spencer Durrant](http://img.ksl.com/slc/2583/258385/25838585\.jpg?filter=ksl/65x65)
About the Author: Spencer Durrant \---------------------------------

Spencer is an outdoors columnist and novelist from Utah. His debut novel, Learning to Fly, was an Amazon bestseller. Connect with him on Twitter @Spencer_Durrant or on Facebook.

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