Fish Lake (Utah)

Fish Lake
Bowery Resort in the foreground and the Mytoges to the left
Location of Fish Lake in Utah, USA.
Location of Fish Lake in Utah, USA.
Fish Lake
Location of Fish Lake in Utah, USA.
Location of Fish Lake in Utah, USA.
Fish Lake
LocationSevier County, Utah,
United States
Coordinates38°32′55″N 111°42′40″W / 38.54861°N 111.71111°W / 38.54861; -111.71111
Primary inflows2535.35
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length5 mi (8.0 km)
Max. depth175 ft (53 m)
Surface elevation8,848 ft (2,697 m)

Fish Lake is a high alpine lake (elevation approximately 8,848 ft or 2,700 m) located in the Fishlake/ Southern Wasatch Plateau region of south-central Utah, United States. It lies within and is the namesake of the Fishlake National Forest.

Location

Fish Lake, six miles long and one mile wide, lies in a geologic structure known as a graben valley. It is bounded by the Mytoge Mountains on the southeast shore which sharply rise about 1,000 feet (300 m) above the lake level. Along the northwest shore, the lake is bounded by Fish Lake Hightop Plateau (summit elevation 11,600 ft / 3,500 m).[1]

The nearest town is Koosharem, 15 miles to the west (24 km). A larger community, Richfield, is within a one-hour drive.

Flora and fauna

Pando, a clonal quaking aspen stand, that, according to some sources, is the oldest (80,000 years) and largest (106 acres, 13 million pounds) organism on Earth, is located 1 mile southwest of Fish Lake on Utah route 25.[2]

Fish Lake holds rainbow trout, splake, lake trout, kokanee salmon, brown trout, tiger trout and yellow perch. Yellow perch are regarded as an invasive species; there is no bag limit and anglers are encouraged to dispose of any yellow perch caught.[3] The lake is stocked by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources fish hatchery in Glenwood. The region sees heavy snowfall in the winter, with snowfall occurring as late as June in any given year. For this reason tourist activity is at its peak in the summer months.

Climate

The Fish Lake Plateau rises to the northwest of Fish Lake and reaches an elevation of 11,633 ft (3,546 m).[4] Fish Lake Hightop has a subalpine climate (Köppen Dfc), bordering on an Alpine climate (Köppen ET). There is no weather station at the summit, but this climate table contains interpolated data for an area around the summit.

Climate data for Fish Lake Hightop 38.6012 N, 111.7432 W, Elevation: 11,453 ft (3,491 m) (1991–2020 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 28.4
(−2.0) 		28.4
(−2.0) 		33.4
(0.8) 		38.5
(3.6) 		47.5
(8.6) 		59.3
(15.2) 		65.8
(18.8) 		63.8
(17.7) 		56.7
(13.7) 		45.6
(7.6) 		35.0
(1.7) 		28.1
(−2.2) 		44.2
(6.8)
Daily mean °F (°C) 18.6
(−7.4) 		17.9
(−7.8) 		22.4
(−5.3) 		26.9
(−2.8) 		35.6
(2.0) 		46.3
(7.9) 		53.1
(11.7) 		51.6
(10.9) 		44.7
(7.1) 		34.4
(1.3) 		24.9
(−3.9) 		18.4
(−7.6) 		32.9
(0.5)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 8.7
(−12.9) 		7.4
(−13.7) 		11.4
(−11.4) 		15.3
(−9.3) 		23.7
(−4.6) 		33.4
(0.8) 		40.5
(4.7) 		39.3
(4.1) 		32.8
(0.4) 		23.2
(−4.9) 		14.9
(−9.5) 		8.7
(−12.9) 		21.6
(−5.8)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.81
(71) 		2.85
(72) 		3.16
(80) 		3.31
(84) 		2.98
(76) 		1.01
(26) 		2.00
(51) 		2.42
(61) 		2.38
(60) 		2.37
(60) 		2.60
(66) 		2.74
(70) 		30.63
(777)
Source: PRISM Climate Group[5]

References

  1. ^ fishlake.com Fish Lake
  2. ^ "Pando". USDA Forest Service. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
  3. ^ 2015 Utah Fishing Guidebook
  4. ^ "Fish Lake Hightop". summitpost.org. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  5. ^ "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. Retrieved November 17, 2023. To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Retrieve Time Series button.
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