Chain Lakes

Chain Lakes is a lake in Duchesne County, Utah.

Use the shape you can see at Chain Lakes: check the best cover, the first drop, and one open-water line before moving.

Fish and Baits

The fish mix here is not confirmed, so check fresh local information before choosing a target or keeping a catch; look along a shallow shelf, then watch for food before choosing lure depth.

Begin with one slow bottom presentation and one moving bait, then let bites show whether fish are holding close to cover or roaming open water; check the downwind corner for food, then give low-light water a slower bottom pass.

How to Read the Water

Make one shallow pass and one deeper pass on the same shoreline; that shows whether fish are tight to cover or using the first break; try the first deep shelf after the bank, then slow the bait when a good edge appears.

Season by Season

In spring, start with warming banks, creek mouths, and shallow cover; summer usually pushes the better bite toward the outside weed edge or a nearby drop; fall can bring bait back to windblown points, while winter calls for smaller moves and a slower pace; cast across the break instead of along it, then use one moving lure and one slow bait.

A Simple Tackle Plan

a medium spinning rod, 8-pound line, a small box of jigs, a few crankbaits, and a simple bottom rig cover most situations; change depth or speed before changing every piece of tackle; use a small lure when bites are scarce, then make the next cast parallel to the edge.

At Chain Lakes, record the wind, water color, productive depth, and cover after a bite; those four notes are more useful on the next trip than a long list of spots that did not produce.