Fly Fishing Logan, Utah: Nearby Rivers, Seasons and Local Pros
Location Details / Utah / Towns / Logan
Fly Fishing Logan, Utah: Nearby Rivers, Seasons and Local Pros
Logan sits at the mouth of Logan Canyon, where the Logan River runs beside US-89 with browns in the lower canyon and native Bonneville cutthroat above Third Dam. Blacksmith Fork, between Hyrum and Hardware Ranch, adds cutthroat and browns. Fish July through October after runoff, and learn the special-regulation sections first.
Logan is Utah's cutthroat town. The Logan River leaves its canyon on the edge of the city, Blacksmith Fork is a short drive south, and Utah State University's fish ecologists study both. See the Utah fly fishing page and the Utah towns page.
Top species
Bonneville cutthroat (Utah's state fish), brown trout, stocked rainbows, mountain whitefish
Best months
July to October after runoff; Logan Canyon impoundments and lower river earlier
Top nearby waters
Logan River, Logan Canyon impoundments (First, Second and Third Dam), Blacksmith Fork, Logan River headwater tributaries
Distances
Spring Hollow 6.6 miles up US-89; Card Picnic Area about 9.4 miles; Red Banks about 23 miles
License and regs
Utah DWR fishing license: nonresident 3-day $44 or 365-day $120; Utah Fishing Guidebook
Major airport
Salt Lake City International (SLC)
Rivers and Lakes Near Logan
- Logan River: Pocket water, riffles and seams with US-89 never far away. Card Canyon Bridge to Red Banks is artificial flies and lures only, limit 2, and above Red Banks the river is closed until the second Saturday of July. Utah State University reports cutthroat climbing from 38 fish per kilometer at Third Dam to 822 at Franklin Basin. Several Forest Service sites are closed in 2026, but a campground closure does not close the river. Read Logan River, Utah: A Complete Fly Fishing Guide.
- First, Second and Third Dam: Three small impoundments in the lower canyon, stocked with rainbows; the DWR's 2026 records show 9,241 catchable rainbows planted in the Logan River between May and September. Third Dam sits next to Spring Hollow Campground and marks the lower end of cutthroat water.
- Blacksmith Fork: The DWR recommends this small, easy-to-wade stream between Hyrum and Hardware Ranch for Bear River cutthroat and brown trout. It is lightly fished and managed for good catch rates, and it counts toward the Utah Cutthroat Slam.
- Temple Fork, Right Hand Fork and Franklin Basin: Tributaries and headwaters that feed the main Logan high in the Bear River Range. This is where cutthroat densities peak; pair them with an upper-canyon day once the July opener arrives.
When to Fish Near Logan
| Target | JAN | FEB | MAR | APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT | NOV | DEC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan River (lower canyon) | ||||||||||||
| Logan above Red Banks (opens July) | ||||||||||||
| Blacksmith Fork | ||||||||||||
| Fall browns, lower river |
Intensity:LightModerateHeavy
General guidance from the Logan River guide; Logan browns spawn in late fall and early winter, so give redds room. Check the USGS gauge above State Dam before you drive.
From the Podcast: A Utah State Ecologist on Northern Utah Bugs
Donny Benkendorf earned his PhD in ecology at Utah State University and joined the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast in September 2021 to talk about the bugs he studied. On streams near him in northern Utah, he described summer days when the bottom was so thick with square-cased Brachycentrus caddis that he stepped on dozens of them with every stride. He also explained that the giant salmonfly takes about three years to mature in Utah, so nymphs of every size are in the river year-round, with adults emerging around late June. Flip rocks before you pick a fly. Listen to Fly Fishing Conservation is Healing Rivers with Scientific Research.
Hire a Local Pro in Logan
No guide, lodge or outfitter serving Logan is in the FFIP Certified directory yet, so we do not point you to one by name. Our Find a Pro page lists every FFIP Certified guide, lodge and outfitter by region, water type and species, and it grows as new pros are featured on the podcast.
Tips from Podcast Guests
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Dip a weighted leech at undercuts, or fish after dark, for big trout
The largest trout in a river feed at night and hide under cover by day, so drop a heavy leech at every undercut instead of blind-casting open water.
Donny Benkendorf, Utah State University ecologist
Browse every tip in the Fly Fishing Tips Library.
Nearby Fly Fishing Towns
Logan Fly Fishing Questions, Answered
Where can you fly fish near Logan?
Drive up US-89 into Logan Canyon: the impoundments at First, Second and Third Dam come first, then pullouts and day-use sites such as Card Picnic Area, then the special-regulation water up to Red Banks. Blacksmith Fork, between Hyrum and Hardware Ranch, is the second river.
When is the best time to fly fish near Logan?
July through October, once runoff drops. The Logan above Red Banks stays closed until the second Saturday of July. Fall is the time to target lower-river browns, which spawn in late fall and early winter, while the impoundments and lower river fish earlier in the year.
Do you need a guide to fly fish near Logan?
No: almost every access point is a pullout or Forest Service site on one highway. A guide helps with fast, slick pocket water, the two special-regulation zones and the private land below the canyon, where Utah law keeps you off the streambed without permission.
Is Logan or Ogden a better base?
Logan is the better cutthroat base, with two trout streams minutes from town. Ogden is closer to Salt Lake City and adds the Ogden River, the lower Weber and Willard Bay carp. For a summer trout trip, choose Logan.
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Tight lines, everyone!
By Christian Bacasa, host of the Fly Fishing Insider Podcast. Last reviewed November 2026.
Regulations, seasons, stocking, flows, access points and license fees change. Every rule and figure on this page comes from the agency or FFIP source named at the time of writing and is a starting point, not a guarantee. Campgrounds close, dam releases shift and the Utah Fishing Guidebook is revised regularly. Confirm current regulations with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and confirm trip availability and entry requirements with your Frontiers specialist before you book anything.