Utah lakes and reservoirs

Starvation Reservoir Fishing

A Utah reservoir in Duchesne County.

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Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0

Fishing times todaySolunar periods, sunrise and moonrise for the county around Starvation Reservoir, today and the next 7 days.Best fishing times today
Duchesne County

Starvation Reservoir by the DWR numbers

For Starvation Reservoir, a reservoir of Duchesne County, DWR’s size field reads “3310”. The UGRC lakes layer traces about 2,742 acres of mapped outline for it. The nearest Utah Census town is Duchesne, roughly 4 miles away.

DWR labels it a Blue Ribbon fishery. Launch data show 2 launches. Add 4 shore and pier points on the DWR list. It carries 10 rule lines beyond the statewide table.

2,742outline acres
2launches
4shore points
8species on DWR list

Size as the DWR Fish Utah page for Starvation Reservoir prints it (DWR), read November 11, 2026.

Outline area from the UGRC Utah Lakes NHD layer (ArcGIS service; mapped polygon area, not a DWR surface-acre figure), read November 11, 2026.

Utah DWR Fish Utah page for Starvation Reservoir (DWR last updated the page Nov 2, 2026), read November 11, 2026.

U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census counts (TIGERweb) and the 2023 Gazetteer, read November 11, 2026.

DWR

How Utah DWR describes Starvation Reservoir

Here is how DWR's map page describes Starvation Reservoir:

Starvation is a long, deep reservoir set in a panoramic valley with a view of the south slope of the Uinta Mountains. There is a large concrete boat ramp and two boat docks in the main state park and several makeshift ramps in all the larger bays. There are four camping areas around the lake run by Utah State Parks.

Fish Utah directions for Starvation Reservoir: Go two miles northwest of the town of Duchesne

At the Starvation Reservoir access points DWR notes boat Ramp, cabins, camp host, covered Picnic ares, docks – accessible, drinking water, electrical hook-us and fire rings.

Utah DWR Fish Utah page for Starvation Reservoir (DWR last updated the page Nov 2, 2026), read November 11, 2026.

Species

The DWR species list for Starvation Reservoir

These ratings for Starvation Reservoir come straight from Fish Utah.

SpeciesDWR rating
Brown troutlikely
Rainbow troutlikely
Walleyelikely
Yellow perchlikely
Black crappiepossible
Bluegillpossible
Common carppossible
Utah chubpossible

Utah DWR Fish Utah page for Starvation Reservoir (DWR last updated the page Nov 2, 2026), read November 11, 2026.

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Stocking

Fish DWR has planted in Starvation Reservoir

Recent Starvation Reservoir stocking, as Fish Utah lists it (average length exactly as printed, without a unit).

DateSpeciesNumberAverage length
Oct 15, 2026Rainbow10,7107.16
Sep 20, 2026Rainbow20,0243.56
Sep 20, 2026Rainbow10,0483.39
Jul 21, 2026Rainbow46,7203.5
Jul 21, 2026Rainbow26,2803.5
Jul 20, 2026Rainbow46,7203.5
Jul 7, 2026Rainbow1,3314.3
Jul 7, 2026Rainbow1,68310.98
Jul 6, 2026Rainbow7,56010.6
Jun 11, 2026Rainbow49,4682.28
May 29, 2026Rainbow2,2882.85
May 14, 2026Rainbow2,25310.41

Utah DWR Fish Utah page for Starvation Reservoir (DWR last updated the page Nov 2, 2026), read November 11, 2026.

Report

Fishing report on file for Starvation Reservoir

Summer (June-August) Forecast: Starvation Reservoir offers a variety of species to fish for and June is one of the best months of the year to fish it! As the water warms to 60 degrees the smallmouth bass, walleye, and perch begin to actively feed and move around the Reservoir. We also see an influx of water into the reservoir from both the Strawberry River and the Duchesne River via the Knight diversion.

Report date on Fish Utah for Starvation Reservoir: Jun 13, 2026. Treat it as history, not today.

Utah DWR Fish Utah page for Starvation Reservoir (DWR last updated the page Nov 2, 2026), read November 11, 2026.

Access

Towing a boat to Starvation Reservoir

  • Starvation State Park Boat Rampboat ramp, for any vessel class, administered by Utah State Parks in the UGRC layer
  • State Park Main Boat Ramp at Starvation Reservoirboat ramp, cabins, camp host, covered Picnic ares

Casting from the shore of Starvation Reservoir

  • Indian Bay Shore Access at Starvation Reservoirshore access
  • Juniper Bay Shore Access at Starvation Reservoirshore access
  • Knight Hollow Shore Access at Starvation Reservoirshore access
  • Rabbit Gulch Shore Access at Starvation Reservoirshore access

Next-closest Utah launches to Starvation Reservoir

  • Lake Canyon Lake Dam Hand LaunchLake Canyon Lake, 12 miles southwest
  • Big Sand State Park Boat Ramp at Big Sand WashBig Sand Wash, 15 miles northeast

Fees and gate times at Starvation Reservoir launches are not in the data; ask the operator or park office.

UGRC Boat Ramps layer (ArcGIS service) and the DWR Fish Utah access list, read November 11, 2026.

Level

Recent elevation numbers at Starvation Reservoir

5,692.1 ftpool elevation
15 cfsrelease
291 cfsinflow

Reclamation daily values for Starvation Reservoir, November 10, 2026.

Bureau of Reclamation Upper Colorado Region reservoir data (hydrodata), latest daily values, read November 11, 2026. Provisional.

Each Starvation Reservoir number names its agency; Reclamation values are dated, not live.

Limits

Utah harvest rules at Starvation Reservoir

The limits here are from the 2027 Utah Fishing Guidebook, which takes effect January 1, 2027; the 2026 Utah Fishing Guidebook stays in force through December 31, 2026 and differs only where a row says so.

Utah water-specific limits at Starvation Reservoir

  • Starvation ReservoirLimit 10 bluegill, green sunfish, black crappie and yellow perch (a combined total). (new in the 2027 guidebook, in force from January 1, 2027)
  • Starvation Reservoir(NEW) Limit 20 walleye under 15 inches, and no more than 1 walleye over 20 inches. All walleye 15–20 inches must be immediately released. (new in the 2027 guidebook, in force from January 1, 2027)

2027 Utah Fishing Guidebook, p. 52 (effective January 1, 2027; DWR PDF), read November 11, 2026.

As DWR's Fish Utah page lists them, the Starvation Reservoir rules read (DWR marks them updated Jan 10, 2023):

  • Brown Trout: Trout, including salmon, grayling and hybrids a combined limit of 4.
  • Kokanee Salmon: Trout, including salmon, grayling and hybrids a combined limit of 4.
  • Rainbow Trout: Trout, including salmon, grayling and hybrids a combined limit of 4.
  • Walleye: Limit 10, only 1 over 24 inches.
  • Limit 10 Bluegill, Green Sunfish, Black Crappie and Yellow Perch (a combined total).
  • Common Carp: No Limit; to take nonprohibited nongame fish, you may use angling, traps, archery, dipnets, cast nets, liftnets, seines or a handheld spear from above the surface of the water.
  • Utah Chub: No Limit; to take nonprohibited nongame fish, you may use angling, traps, archery, dipnets, cast nets, liftnets, seines or a handheld spear from above the surface of the water.
  • Closed to the use of underwater spearfishing to take largemouth and smallmouth bass from April 1 through the fourth Saturday of June.

Utah DWR Fish Utah page for Starvation Reservoir (DWR last updated the page Nov 2, 2026), read November 11, 2026.

Statewide Utah numbers behind Starvation Reservoir

Species group2027 daily limit2026 daily limitNote as printed
Black crappie and white crappie (a combined total)50same–
Bluegill and green sunfish (a combined total)50same–
Trout, kokanee salmon and Arctic grayling (a combined total)4sameAnglers may not possess kokanee salmon at any waterbody statewide from Sept. 10 through Nov. 30.
Walleye10, only 1 over 24 inchessame–
Yellow perch50same–

2027 Utah Fishing Guidebook, p. 9 (effective January 1, 2027; DWR PDF), read November 11, 2026.

The R657-13 possession wording that covers Starvation Reservoir: "Possession limit means, for purposes of this rule only, two daily limits, including fish in a cooler, camper, tent, freezer, livewell or any other place of storage, excluding fish stored in an individual’s permanent residence."

Utah Admin. Code R657-13 (R657-13-2), last changed June 23, 2026 as printed on the DWR rules page, read November 11, 2026.

Anglers 12 and older need a Utah fishing license; both the 2026 and 2027 guidebooks print $40 for a resident 365-day adult license and $120 for a nonresident.

License prices as printed in the 2027 Utah Fishing Guidebook, p. 8 (the 2026 guidebook prints the same prices; checked against the DWR fees page), read November 11, 2026.

Blue Ribbon

Blue Ribbon status at Starvation Reservoir

Starvation Reservoir appears on the DWR Blue Ribbon fisheries list, a program label for waters DWR manages as top fisheries.

Utah DWR Fish Utah page for Starvation Reservoir (DWR last updated the page Nov 2, 2026), read November 11, 2026.

Records

Record-book weights DWR ties to Starvation Reservoir

SpeciesWeight or lengthYearPlace as DWR prints itCategory
Utah chub1 lb. 15 oz.2009Starvation Reservoircatch and keep; no longer accepting entries
Carp38 ½"2018Starvation Reservoircatch and release (length)
Utah chub1 lb.2005Starvation Reservoirspearfishing; no longer accepting entries

Utah state record fish as DWR lists them (records page), read November 11, 2026.

Compare

How Starvation Reservoir compares with other Utah water

WaterDistanceSizeCountyLaunchesSpecies on DWR list
Starvation Reservoir3310Duchesne County28
Lake Canyon Lake12 miles southwest–Duchesne County13
Red Creek Reservoir22 miles west142Duchesne County04
Lower Stillwater Ponds23 miles northVariousDuchesne County05
Moon Lake27 miles northabout 768 acres of mapped outlineDuchesne County09
Little Montes Reservoir30 miles east40Uintah County07

DWR Fish Utah pages, UGRC Boat Ramps and Lakes NHD layers; outline sizes are GIS figures. Read November 11, 2026.

Nearby

Minutes from Starvation Reservoir by road

Still water for day two past Starvation Reservoir

  • Lake Canyon Lake12 miles southwest
  • Red Creek Reservoir22 miles west
  • Lower Stillwater Ponds23 miles north
  • Moon Lake27 miles north
  • Little Montes Reservoir30 miles east

Booking a guided day at Starvation Reservoir

Lodging towns around Starvation Reservoir

  • Duchesne4 miles
  • Roosevelt26 miles
  • Ballard28 miles

Which Utah county holds Starvation Reservoir

  • Duchesne Countyseat: Duchesne
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Fish photos

Beehive State fish to recognize at Starvation Reservoir

Brown trout, Utah
Brown trout
Photo: robposse, CC BY 2.0
Walleye, Utah
Walleye
Photo: Argyleist, CC BY 2.0
Yellow perch, Utah
Yellow perch
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Bluegill, Utah
Bluegill
Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain
Answers

Starvation Reservoir, sorted out in a few questions

What part of the Beehive State is Starvation Reservoir in?

Fish Utah files it under Duchesne County; the nearest Census town, Duchesne, is about 4 miles away.

How many acres does Utah DWR give Starvation Reservoir?

DWR's size field: "3310".

Where can a boat launch onto Utah's Starvation Reservoir?

2 launches are on file; try Starvation State Park Boat Ramp.

What does DWR say swims in Starvation Reservoir?

Fish Utah names brown trout, rainbow trout, walleye and yellow perch.

Does Utah set size limits at Starvation Reservoir?

The Utah guidebook and Fish Utah print 10 rule lines for it, quoted in the limits band and dated by edition.

What must an out-of-state visitor buy before fishing Utah's Starvation Reservoir?

Anglers 12 and older need a Utah fishing license; both the 2026 and 2027 guidebooks print $40 for a resident 365-day adult license and $120 for a nonresident. The license rule starts at age 12.

Where can a Utah angler fish Starvation Reservoir without a boat?

Start at Indian Bay Shore Access at Starvation Reservoir; DWR shows 4 shore and pier points.

Where can I buy bait in Utah near Starvation Reservoir?

No listed store falls within 35 miles.

Where does Utah's Starvation Reservoir stand on the gauge?

Readings sit in the level band, each with a source.

What fish does DWR plant in Starvation Reservoir?

Its page carries 33 stocking rows, newest Oct 15, 2026 (rainbow).

What record does DWR credit to Starvation Reservoir?

The utah chub mark, 1 lb. 15 oz., came from Starvation Reservoir, year 2009.

Does DWR call Starvation Reservoir Blue Ribbon water?

DWR names it Blue Ribbon water.

Fill the cooler and drive to Starvation Reservoir

Fees and limit tables are one click away.