Brush Creek Fishing Guides
A Uinta south-slope creek running down past Jensen to the Green River, with cold trout water in the canyon above and a warmer irrigated reach below.
Guides on the Brush Creek
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About the Brush Creek
Brush Creek drains the south slope of the Uinta Mountains northeast of Vernal and runs down through the canyon and across the bench country to the Green River near Jensen. At the gauge it is draining about two hundred and fifty square miles, and like most creeks on this flank of the Uintas it is sharply divided: cold, steep and genuinely good trout water in the canyon and the forest above, and a warmer, heavily irrigated reach once it reaches the farmland on the basin floor. Anglers who know only the lower crossings tend to write the creek off, and anglers who know the canyon rate it highly. Both are describing the same creek.
In the canyon the fishery is browns and rainbows, with cutthroat trout present in the upper reaches and brook trout in the headwater tributaries and above the forks on Ashley National Forest ground. Mountain whitefish are abundant in the lower canyon and are a fine winter target that almost nobody fishes for. The water is small and the casting is tight, with plunge pools, boulder pockets and short runs rather than long flats, and a short rod and a willingness to climb are worth more than distance. Down on the bench near Jensen the creek warms and thins under irrigation withdrawal, trout become patchy, and channel catfish appear in the lowest reaches near the Green.
The gauge reports discharge and stage without temperature, so the summer thermal risk on the lower creek has to be inferred from the flow. The pattern is clear and worth reading: a June snowmelt peak that makes the canyon water pushy and off-colour, a July recession as the snow runs out, and a low late-summer baseflow when the bench reach is too warm and too thin to fish and the canyon is the only sensible option. Autumn is the best time on the whole creek, and the canyon is worth the walk in any season it is accessible.
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Access
Jensen - the basin community at the gauge, on the lower creek near the Green River.
Vernal - the regional centre to the west, with tackle, lodging, guides and outfitters.
Brush Creek Canyon - the Ashley National Forest reach above the bench, with the best trout water.
Red Fleet Reservoir - the impoundment on the drainage north of Vernal, with its own fishery and access.
Diamond Mountain - the plateau country above the canyon, with forest road access to the upper creek.
Green River confluence - the downstream end of the creek, near Dinosaur National Monument.
Dinosaur National Monument - the reserve east of Jensen, with the Green River float water nearby.
Seasons
Spring: snowmelt makes the canyon pushy and coloured, with the best fishing on the shoulders of the runoff and in the lower creek early.
Summer: the canyon carries the fishing as the bench reach warms and thins under irrigation demand.
Fall: the best season, with low clear water, cool air and brown trout feeding hard before spawning in the canyon.
Winter: cold and largely inaccessible above the bench, with whitefish in the lower canyon the one dependable option on mild days.
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Questions
What is the current flow on the Brush Creek?
As of Nov 2, 7:15 am, the USGS gauge BRUSH CREEK NEAR JENSEN, UTAH reads 26 cfs. Conditions update every 15 minutes.
What species can you catch on the Brush Creek?
Anglers target Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Cutthroat Trout, Mountain Whitefish, Rainbow Trout on the Brush Creek in Utah.
Where can you access the Brush Creek?
Jensen - the basin community at the gauge, on the lower creek near the Green River. Vernal - the regional centre to the west, with tackle, lodging, guides and outfitters. Brush Creek Canyon - the Ashley National Forest reach above the bench, with the best trout water. Red Fleet Reservoir - the impoundment on the drainage north of Vernal, with its own fishery and access. Diamond Mountain - the plateau country above the canyon, with forest road access to the upper creek. Green River confluence - the downstream end of the creek, near Dinosaur National Monument. Dinosaur National Monument - the re...
When is the best time to fish the Brush Creek?
Spring: snowmelt makes the canyon pushy and coloured, with the best fishing on the shoulders of the runoff and in the lower creek early. Summer: the canyon carries the fishing as the bench reach warms and thins under irrigation demand. Fall: the best season, with low clear water, cool air and brown trout feeding hard before spawning in the canyon. Winter: cold and largely inaccessible above the bench, with whitefish in the lower canyon the one dependable option on mild days.
Where are the fishing regulations for the Brush Creek?
Regulations change by season and section. Read the current rules on the Utah agency site: https://wildlife.utah.gov/guidebooks.html