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1,193-acre reservoir in Emery County, Utah. The lake tops out around 89 ft. The depth picture is modeled, anchored to the true shoreline and the water's published max depth — a scouting aid, never a chart to run a boat by. Here's the year, species by species, as the scoring engine sees it.
Traced from the shoreline, Joes Valley Reservoir runs 1,122 acres with 9.2 miles of edge. Index 2 on the shoreline: a few honest points and pockets, nothing labyrinthine. Roughly 39% of the water is 15 ft or less as modeled, the band where the food chain lives. End to end it runs roughly 3.3 mi, about 1.2 mi across. You'll find it in Emery County. The nearest mapped water is Duck Fork Reservoir, 12 mi to the southwest.
Early season cutthroat trout use the shallows, holding in 3 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 10 to 35 ft, then a winter hold in 10 to 40 ft. Put Main-lake point first on the milk run — a point near 22 ft that grades prime for fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a trolled spoon (small) or an inline spinner and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | open water | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (40 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: splake in 5 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 25 to 60 ft before dropping to 10 to 45 ft for winter. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 40 ft of water that rates prime for splake in summer. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a trolled spoon at the thermocline or a white tube jig (deep) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Small casting spoon (gold/orange), Inline spinner |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | dawn & dusk | Break off the point (40 ft) | Trolled spoon at the thermocline, White tube jig (deep) |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait |
| Winter | 10 to 45 ft | dawn | Break off the point (40 ft) | Jigging spoon tipped with minnow head, Small white tube |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: muskellunge in 3 to 12 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 8 to 25 ft before dropping to 15 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for muskellunge in spring. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a double-10 bucktail or a topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dusk | Shallow bay flat (6 ft) | Smaller bucktail (#8 blades), 6" glide bait |
| Summer | 8 to 25 ft | dusk & dawn | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Double-10 bucktail, Topwater (walk-the-dog / creeper) |
| Fall | 8 to 30 ft | midday & dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Big rubber (Bull Dawg style), 10"+ glide bait |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday | Break off the point (40 ft) | Large rubber, crawled slow |
The spring pattern is a shallow one: rainbow trout in 5 to 20 ft. As the season builds they drop to 8 to 30 ft, wintering in 8 to 40 ft. Top water on the chart: Break off the point, a drop-off in the 40 ft range, prime in winter. Time it for early morning and the evening. Summer baits: a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Main-lake point (22 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Break off the point (40 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Structure-wise the chart holds 6 features, led in depth by Deep basin at roughly 76 ft.
Access data: Utah DNR — Boat Ramps. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.
| Date | Species | Count | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 23 | Rainbow trout | 25,029 | ~2.9" |
| Jun 22 | Muskie Tiger | 808 | ~7.6" |
| Jun 22 | Muskie Tiger | 800 | ~7.4" |
| Sep 29, 2025 | Muskie Tiger | 1,530 | ~10.5" |
| Sep 18, 2025 | Splake trout | 24,285 | ~4.1" |
| Sep 16, 2025 | Splake trout | 15,543 | ~4.1" |
Source: Utah DWR fish-stocking report, retrieved 2026-08-18.
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Utah waters are set by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources — and special regulations can apply to Joes Valley Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Utah fishing regulations →
Joes Valley Reservoir is about 89 ft (27 m) deep at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
Anglers target cutthroat trout, splake, muskellunge, rainbow trout on Joes Valley Reservoir.
Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 40 ft of water that rates prime for splake in summer. The interactive chart above rates every spot for each species and season.
For cutthroat trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Yes — per Utah DWR fish-stocking report records, Joes Valley Reservoir was most recently stocked Jun 23 with 25,029 rainbow trout. The full stocking history is listed above.
Fishing on Joes Valley Reservoir is regulated by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Check the official Utah regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Duck Fork Reservoir 12 mi · Ferron Reservoir 14 mi · Millsite Reservoir 14 mi · Miller Flat Reservoir 17 mi · Huntington North Reservoir 18 mi · Cleveland Reservoir 20 mi · Huntington 21 mi · Palisade Reservoir 22 mi · Electric Lake 23 mi · Nine Mile Reservoir 24 mi · Gooseberry Reservoir 29 mi · Scofield Reservoir 34 mi
See how Joes Valley Reservoir stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Utah · best muskellunge lakes in Utah · best cutthroat trout lakes in Utah · best splake lakes in Utah
More water nearby: Emery County fishing maps (6 charts). Browse all Utah fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.