Price River Fishing Guides
The upper Price in the Scofield high country, a small mountain stream with wild browns and easy forest access.
Guides on the Price River
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About the Price River
The Price River begins in the high country of the Manti-La Sal National Forest west of Scofield, gathers itself from a set of small forks, and runs east through Price Canyon toward Helper and the desert beyond. The gauge sits in the upper drainage near Scofield, and it is this upper water – cold, small and forested – that holds the trout fishing. Downstream the river enters a very different world of coal country, irrigation and desert canyon.
Up top the stream is intimate. Brown trout are the mainstay and are wild throughout, cutthroat occupy some of the headwater forks, and rainbows are present and are stocked in places near the reservoir. None of these are large fish by western standards, but they are numerous, they are willing, and they sit in water that is pleasant to fish on a hot day.
The character of the upper river is meadow and willow in the flats and pocket water where the gradient steepens. Grasshoppers along the meadow margins draw good fish to the surface from midsummer, and standard attractor dries work well through the season. The stream is narrow enough that a short rod is an advantage in the brushy sections.
Scofield Reservoir sits just upstream of the main gauge reach and is a well-known still water in its own right, drawing a steady crowd of ice anglers in winter and boat anglers in summer. The river above and below it is much quieter.
Anglers should note that water rights and diversions shape the lower river heavily, and flows through Price Canyon and out into the desert reach can drop very low in late summer. Fishing effort is best concentrated in the forest above Scofield.
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Access
Scofield - the reservoir and the nearest services in the upper drainage.
Manti-La Sal National Forest roads - public access to the headwater forks.
Scofield State Park - developed facilities at the reservoir.
Pondtown Canyon - a tributary drainage with forest access.
Upper Price meadows - walk-in access above the reservoir.
Price Canyon - the reach downstream toward Helper, with roadside pullouts.
Helper - the lower canyon town and access to the desert reach.
Seasons
Spring: snowmelt in the high country keeps the upper river cold and pushy into June.
Summer: the best season, with hopper fishing in the meadows and comfortable high-country weather.
Fall: clear and productive, with browns active and very little angling pressure.
Winter: snowbound at elevation; the reservoir draws ice anglers but the river is largely inaccessible.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Price River?
As of Sep 17, 6:30 am, the USGS gauge PRICE RIVER NEAR SCOFIELD, UTAH reads 11 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Price River?
Anglers target Brown Trout, Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout on the Price River in Utah.
Where can you access the Price River?
Scofield - the reservoir and the nearest services in the upper drainage. Manti-La Sal National Forest roads - public access to the headwater forks. Scofield State Park - developed facilities at the reservoir. Pondtown Canyon - a tributary drainage with forest access. Upper Price meadows - walk-in access above the reservoir. Price Canyon - the reach downstream toward Helper, with roadside pullouts. Helper - the lower canyon town and access to the desert reach.
When is the best time to fish the Price River?
Spring: snowmelt in the high country keeps the upper river cold and pushy into June. Summer: the best season, with hopper fishing in the meadows and comfortable high-country weather. Fall: clear and productive, with browns active and very little angling pressure. Winter: snowbound at elevation; the reservoir draws ice anglers but the river is largely inaccessible.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Price River?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Utah agency site: https://wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks.html