- Utah increases fishing limits at Crouse and Nine Mile reservoirs.
- Increased drought has impacted reservoir levels, leading to the emergency decision.
- Anglers can catch up to eight trout at Crouse and 16 at Nine Mile.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah wildlife officials are implementing emergency fishing measures at a pair of reservoirs in the state over low reservoir levels.
Anglers are now able to catch up to eight trout of any species at Crouse Reservoir in Uintah County through the end of this year, according to the emergency order that Utah Division of Wildlife Resources director Riley Peck signed on Monday. That's up from its usual limit of four.
Peck signed a similar measure for Nine Mile Reservoir in Sanpete County, upping its daily limit to 16 trout until Oct. 1.
"We want anglers to be able to harvest these fish so they can be used and not wasted as water levels continue to decline throughout the summer," Peck said in a statement. "We hope anglers can prioritize fishing at these waterbodies because increased harvest will hopefully improve the survival of any remaining fish, as well."
It's the second-straight year that an emergency measure has been implemented at Crouse Reservoir, after it peaked at 20% capacity in May 2025. It wasn't immediately clear what its capacity was this week, but drought conditions have only worsened over the past year, especially in Uintah County.
Almost 99% of the county is listed in extreme or exceptional drought, as compared to 16% last year, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. It also lists close to 98% of Sanpete County as in extreme drought.
This year's record-low snowpack is largely to blame for the increase in drought and decrease in reservoir levels. Approximately 95% of the state's water supply comes from snowpack.
Utah's reservoir system is currently 71% full, but many reservoirs near the Uintah Basin and also central Utah are listed at below 40% capacity. Many smaller reservoirs that rely on snowpack each year or every other year would be lower this year, state water experts pointed out last month.
State wildlife officials often order daily fishing limit increases when reservoirs shrink. That's because it leads to warmer water that holds less oxygen for fish, which can stress fish species used to cold water, like trout, according to Trina Hedrick, sportfish coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
The division says it usually stocks fewer fish in reservoirs or other bodies of water likely to be impacted by drought and instead reallocates fish to less-impacted areas. Biologists sometimes change the species stocked in some areas so that the fish released can better tolerate warmer water.
"Fishing may not be the same this year in some areas," Hedrick said earlier this month. "Fish may be found in different locations throughout a waterbody than usual, and especially later in the season."
