Protected and Prohibited Fish of Utah
The natives Utah anglers must release, the 2027 native game fish, and the nuisance fish that may never be released.
Angler pickPiscifun Viper X spinning reel50% OFFSale $39.99 Photo of Colorado River: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0
Utah fish you must release, may only release, or may not release
Utah sorts protected and unwanted fish into three groups. The 7 threatened or endangered natives must go back alive at once. From January 1, 2027, 14 native species become game fish that may be caught and released but never kept. And 30 prohibited nuisance fish may never be put back alive at all.
2027 Utah Fishing Guidebook, p. 19 (effective January 1, 2027; DWR PDF), read November 11, 2026.
Photo of Mantua Reservoir: Christopher Eugene Lee, Public domain
Threatened and endangered Utah natives
The following is a list of threatened or endangered native species. If you catch any of these fish, you must release them (alive) immediately.
| Fish | Scientific name | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Bonytail | Gila elegans | R657-13-13(1) |
| Colorado pikeminnow | Ptychocheilus lucius | R657-13-13(1) |
| Humpback chub | Gila cypha | R657-13-13(1) |
| June sucker | Chasmistes liorus | R657-13-13(1) |
| Razorback sucker | Xyrauchen texanus | R657-13-13(1) |
| Virgin River chub | Gila seminuda | R657-13-13(1) |
| Woundfin | Plagopterus argentissimus | R657-13-13(1) |
2027 Utah Fishing Guidebook, p. 19 (effective January 1, 2027; DWR PDF), read November 11, 2026.
Utah Admin. Code R657-13 (R657-13-13), last changed June 23, 2026 as printed on the DWR rules page, read November 11, 2026.
Utah native game fish under catch and release
NEW: To increase conservation protection and angler awareness, 14 native fish species now have the status of game fish. This means anglers may target them for catch-and-release fishing (no harvest allowed), unless otherwise specified in the Rules for specific waters beginning on page 35.
Until December 31, 2026 the 2026 guidebook applies, and it does not yet carry this native game fish status.
- Bear Lake sculpincatch and release from January 1, 2027
- Bluehead suckercatch and release from January 1, 2027
- Desert suckercatch and release from January 1, 2027
- Flannelmouth suckercatch and release from January 1, 2027
- Green suckercatch and release from January 1, 2027
- Least chubcatch and release from January 1, 2027
- Longnose dacecatch and release from January 1, 2027
- Mottled sculpincatch and release from January 1, 2027
- Mountain suckercatch and release from January 1, 2027
- Northern leatherside chubcatch and release from January 1, 2027
- Paiute sculpincatch and release from January 1, 2027
- Southern leatherside chubcatch and release from January 1, 2027
- Speckled dacecatch and release from January 1, 2027
- Virgin spinedacecatch and release from January 1, 2027
2027 Utah Fishing Guidebook, p. 21 (effective January 1, 2027; DWR PDF), read November 11, 2026.
Prohibited nuisance fish in Utah waters
prohibited nuisance: do not release; keep (dead) and report to DWR (burbot at Flaming Gorge need not be reported)
Burbot are the fish most Utah anglers meet from this list, mainly at Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
- Alewifelisted in both guidebooks
- Asian swamp eellisted in both guidebooks
- Bighead carplisted in both guidebooks
- Black carplisted in both guidebooks
- Bowfinlisted in both guidebooks
- Brook sticklebacklisted in both guidebooks
- Burbotlisted in both guidebooks
- Convict cichlidlisted in both guidebooks
- Eurasian ruffelisted in both guidebooks
- Flathead catfishlisted in both guidebooks
- Garlisted in both guidebooks
- Grass carp (diploid)listed in both guidebooks
- Golden shinernew to the list in 2027
- Idelisted in both guidebooks
- Piranhaslisted in both guidebooks
- Nile perchlisted in both guidebooks
- Northern snakeheadlisted in both guidebooks
- Red bellied paculisted in both guidebooks
- Red shinerlisted in both guidebooks
- Round gobylisted in both guidebooks
- Ruddlisted in both guidebooks
- Sand shinerlisted in both guidebooks
- Sea lampreylisted in both guidebooks
- Silver carplisted in both guidebooks
- South American parasitic catfishlisted in both guidebooks
- Tiger fishlisted in both guidebooks
- Tenchlisted in both guidebooks
- Tilapialisted in both guidebooks
- Walking catfishlisted in both guidebooks
- Zandernew to the list in 2027
2027 Utah Fishing Guidebook, p. 19 (effective January 1, 2027; DWR PDF), read November 11, 2026.
Utah baitfish rules and protected natives
The 2027 guidebook renames the old nongame species row as baitfish and names six of them: Common carp, Fathead minnow, Redside shiner, Utah sucker, Utah chub and White sucker.
NEW: You may not take baitfish—except common carp, redside shiner and fathead minnow—in the following waters: Utah Lake and its tributaries; Weber River.
Small natives such as sculpins, dace and suckers look like bait minnows; a fish you cannot name is safest returned to the water it came from.
2027 Utah Fishing Guidebook, p. 20 (effective January 1, 2027; DWR PDF), read November 11, 2026.
Utah release rules, answered
Which Utah fish must be released alive?
7 threatened or endangered natives: Bonytail, Colorado pikeminnow, Humpback chub, June sucker, Razorback sucker, Virgin River chub and Woundfin.
What is a native game fish in Utah?
From January 1, 2027, 14 native species may be targeted for catch and release only; harvest is not allowed unless a water entry says otherwise.
Does that apply in 2026?
No. The 2026 guidebook stays in force through December 31, 2026 and does not include the new status.
Can I let a burbot go?
No. Burbot are on the prohibited list; keep them dead. DWR does not ask anglers to report burbot taken at Flaming Gorge.
How many nuisance fish are prohibited in Utah?
30, of which 2 join the list in the 2027 guidebook.
Is roundtail chub protected?
The 2026 guidebook allows 2 a day through December 31, 2026; the 2027 guidebook sets the daily limit at 0.
Can I use any minnow as bait in Utah?
Only the baitfish the guidebook names; in Utah Lake and its tributaries and the Weber River only common carp, redside shiner and fathead minnow may be taken.
Where are the Utah limits for fish I may keep?
On the Utah license and limits page and each species page.