Logan River, Utah: A Complete Fly Fishing Guide

The Logan River is a freestone trout stream that runs beside US-89 through Logan Canyon in northern Utah. Brown trout dominate the lower canyon and native Bonneville cutthroat take over upstream of Third Dam. Fish it July through October after runoff, carry a Utah fishing licence, and learn the two special-regulation sections before you keep a fish.

The Logan is pocket water, riffles and seams with the road never far away, which makes it one of the easiest rivers in Utah to fish on short notice and one of the easiest to fish badly. The water is fast, the rocks are slick, and the rules change twice between the canyon mouth and the Idaho line. This guide puts the official facts in one place: where the public access is, what the 2026 Utah Fishing Guidebook says, what lives in each stretch, and how to fish it.

Where is the Logan River and how do you get there?

The Logan River drains the Bear River Range in northern Utah and flows out of Logan Canyon into the city of Logan and Cache Valley. US-89, signed as the Logan Canyon National Scenic Byway, follows the river up the canyon from the intersection of US-89 and US-91 at Main Street and 400 North in Logan, then climbs over to Garden City and Bear Lake. Almost every Logan River access point is a pullout, picnic area or campground on that one highway, which is why the Logan is so easy to fish around a work day.

The river's fishable water runs from the canyon mouth, past the three small impoundments known locally as First, Second and Third Dam, up through the canyon to Red Banks and on toward the Idaho state line. Higher up, Franklin Basin and tributaries such as Temple Fork and the Right Hand Fork feed the main stem.

Plan your trip: See our Utah Location Details page for guides, seasons, regulations and tips.

Where can you access the Logan River in Logan Canyon?

The U.S. Forest Service runs the named day-use sites and campgrounds along the Logan River through the Logan Ranger District of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Distances below are the Forest Service's or Recreation.gov's own figures, measured from Logan. Several sites are closed in 2026, so check the status before you drive.

A campground closure shuts the gate and the sites; it does not close the river. Use legal highway pullouts, never block a locked gate, and call the Logan Ranger District at (435) 755-3620 for current conditions.

Can you fish the Logan River below the canyon?

Yes, but read the access rules first. Below the canyon the Logan River runs through town and private farmland in Cache Valley, and Utah law does not let you walk a privately owned streambed without permission. Herbert "Bert" Ley, vice president of the Utah Stream Access Coalition, explained on Stream Access: What Happens Behind Closed Doors (July 2021) how a 2010 state law took away the wading access Utah anglers had briefly won in court, and why he sends anglers to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to find legal access points. Start with the DWR stream access page.

What fish live in the Logan River?

Bonneville cutthroat trout are the Logan River's native trout and Utah's state fish. Utah State University's Fish Ecology Lab, working with the DWR, reports a clear split between species: Third Dam marks the lower end of cutthroat distribution, and cutthroat abundance climbs from 38 fish per kilometre at Third Dam to 822 per kilometre at Franklin Basin.

Brown trout hold the lower river and the water around the impoundments, and fall is the time to target them, because Logan River browns spawn in late fall and early winter.

Rainbow trout in the Logan are mostly hatchery fish. DWR stocking records show 9,241 catchable rainbows, roughly 11 to 12 inches, planted in the Logan River in 21 loads between May 20 and September 4, 2026. Mountain whitefish round out the catch and count toward the trout and whitefish limit in the special sections.

What are the Logan River fishing regulations?

The 2026 Utah Fishing Guidebook splits the Logan River into three rule zones. The guidebook runs January 1 to December 31, 2026, as the second year of the 2025-2026 rule cycle, so check the 2027 edition before next season.

The guidebook also points Temple Fork, Beaver Creek and the Right Fork of the Logan River back to the Logan River entry, so those tributaries follow whichever section they join. Tony Grove Lake has its own rule: a limit of 8 trout from August 15 to December 31. Anglers under 12 can fish without a licence.

How much does a Utah fishing licence cost?

A Utah fishing licence for the Logan River starts from $44 for a nonresident 3-day licence, according to the Utah DWR fee schedule. A nonresident 7-day licence is $91 and a nonresident 365-day licence is $120. Utah residents aged 18 to 64 pay $40 for 365 days, and seniors 65 and over pay $31. Buy it online from the DWR before you drive up the canyon.

When is the best time to fly fish the Logan River?

The best time to fly fish the Logan River is July through October. The Utah Office of Tourism describes the river as virtually unfishable from late May through most of June because of snowmelt runoff, with caddis taking over from about mid-July and fall the best time for big browns. The upper river above Red Banks does not open until the second Saturday of July anyway. Winter days still fish on midges and blue-winged olives in the lower river.

Intensity:LightModerateHeavy

No agency publishes a Logan River hatch chart, so treat this table as general guidance built from the Utah Office of Tourism's Logan River fishing page and northern Utah article. Snowpack moves runoff by weeks from year to year.

What hatches matter most on the Logan River?

Caddis are the Logan River's bread and butter. The Utah Office of Tourism notes that caddis are common, trout feed on them heavily, and Elk Hair Caddis and other standard imitations usually start working about mid-July, with Pheasant Tail, chamois caddis and cased caddis nymphs effective underneath.

Drakes come twice. Green drakes show in May and June, and Visit Utah reports a second appearance in August and September alongside their close cousin, the gray drake.

Big stoneflies and drake nymphs are in the river all year, which is the part most anglers miss. Utah State University ecologist Donny Benkendorf explained on Fly Fishing Conservation is Healing Rivers with Scientific Research (September 2021) that the giant salmonfly, Pteronarcys californica, lives about three years as a nymph in Utah streams and emerges around late June, so several sizes of nymph are always in the drift. The western green drake, Drunella grandis, completes its life cycle in a single year, so its nymphs grow from late summer toward the next emergence. His practical advice: flip rocks, match what you find for size, and step your nymph up in size as the season goes on.

Midges and blue-winged olives carry the cold months. Both work even when the weather turns cold.

How do you read Logan River flows?

The USGS gauge 10109000, Logan River above State Dam near Logan, sits near the canyon mouth and measures a 214-square-mile drainage. The Logan is a freestone with no large upstream reservoir, so its flow follows snowmelt and storms rather than dam releases. Watch the gauge drop and level off after the spring peak; a steady falling line and clearing water mark the start of the summer fishing. A sudden summer spike usually means a thunderstorm, and the water will run off-color for a day or two.

What flies and tactics work best on the Logan River?

Fish the pockets, not the middle. Logan River trout sit in the soft cushion in front of and behind boulders, along seams and under foam lines. Short, accurate casts with the line held off the water beat long casts in fast pocket water.

Run a dry-dropper all summer. A buoyant attractor such as a Stimulator, Royal Wulff or Humpy with a bead-head nymph 18 to 24 inches below covers both risers and fish holding deep. The Utah Office of Tourism names the Royal Wulff, Humpy, Rainbow Warrior and Prince Nymph as patterns that catch fish all summer.

Stay late for caddis. Bert Ley's evening caddis routine, shared on the same Stream Access episode about the Provo, travels well to the Logan: rig before sunset, sit below a riffle-fed pool and wait for noses. It is tip T142 in the FFIP Tips Library, and the full Tips Library has hundreds more from podcast guests.

In spring, go big and deep. The Utah Office of Tourism reports the artificial-only section can fish in spring with San Juan worms, stonefly nymphs and bead-head nymphs, before runoff peaks.

In fall, hunt browns. Cooling water and pre-spawn browns make October and November the time for bigger nymphs and streamers in the lower river. Give spawning fish and their redds a wide berth.

Is the Logan River good for beginners?

Yes, if beginners start low. The Utah Office of Tourism says the Logan River impoundments are heavily stocked with catchable rainbows and are good places to fish with kids, and DWR plants rainbows through the summer. Bait is legal below Card Canyon Bridge, which suits families. The canyon pocket water above is harder: fast current, slick rocks and wary wild fish reward accurate casting more than luck.

How crowded is the Logan River?

The Logan River is busiest close to town. Visit Utah notes that the river between the impoundments draws crowds because it is so close to Logan, and that canyon road traffic can be heavy. Pressure thins as you drive up the canyon, and the special-regulation water above Card Canyon Bridge sees fewer bait anglers. Weekday mornings and fall weekdays are the quietest times.

How do you wade the Logan River safely?

Treat every Logan River crossing as a real crossing. The water is fast and cold, and the canyon rocks are algae-slick. Wear studded or high-traction soles and a wading belt, use a wading staff in pocket water, and stay off the river while the USGS gauge is still climbing in spring. Whirling disease is present in the Logan River, according to Utah State University's Fish Ecology Lab, so clean mud and weeds off boots and waders and let them dry before you fish another water.

What other Utah waters are near the Logan River?

Inside the Logan system, Tony Grove Lake sits off the canyon road with its own 8-trout fall limit and regular DWR rainbow plants, and the Blacksmith Fork, a Logan River tributary, carries its own guidebook rules, including a bonus limit on brown trout. Farther afield, these FFIP guides cover the rest of northern and central Utah:

• Weber River: Utah's Hidden Gem
• The Provo River: A Complete Fly Fishing Guide and the Provo River angler's guide
• The Strawberry Pinnacles for big stillwater cutthroat
• Boulder Mountain Lakes for a summer high-lake trip
• Green River, Utah: Winter Trip Report when the freestones are frozen
• The Top 10 Fly Fishing Rivers and Lakes in Utah

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Tight lines, everyone!

By Christian Bacasa, host of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast, who lives in Park City, Utah. Last reviewed October 2026.

Prices, availability, flight routing and entry requirements change. Every figure on this page is the starting rate published by the lodge or by Frontiers International Travel at the time of writing, per angler, and is a starting point for a quote, not a quote. Seasons, lodge capacity, charter schedules, visa and passport rules and licence requirements can all change without notice. Confirm current pricing, availability and entry requirements with your Frontiers specialist before you book anything.

Sources: Regulations: 2026 Utah Fishing Guidebook. Licence fees: Utah DWR fee schedule. Stocking: Utah DWR fish stocking reports. Cutthroat distribution and whirling disease: Utah State University Fish Ecology Lab. Access sites: USDA Forest Service, Logan Ranger District and Recreation.gov. Flows: USGS. Hatches and seasons: Utah Office of Tourism. Stream access: Utah DWR and Bert Ley on the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast. Insect life cycles: Donny Benkendorf on the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast.