Fish Lake (Utah) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fish Lake |
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Bowery Resort in the foreground and the Mytoges to the left
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Location | Sevier County, Utah, United States |
Coordinates | 38°32′55″N 111°42′40″W / 38.54861°N 111.71111°W |
Primary inflows | 2535.35 |
Basin countries | United States |
Max. length | 5 mi (8.0 km) |
Max. depth | 175 ft (53 m) |
Surface elevation | 8,848 ft (2,697 m) |
Fish Lake is a beautiful high-mountain lake found in south-central Utah, United States. It sits way up high, about 8,848 feet above sea level! This amazing lake is so important that the whole area around it, the Fishlake National Forest, is named after it.
About Fish Lake
Fish Lake is quite long, stretching about six miles, and is about one mile wide. It sits in a special type of valley called a graben valley. This means the land on either side of the lake dropped down, forming a long, sunken area.
On one side, the Mytoge Mountains rise sharply, about 1,000 feet above the lake. On the other side, you'll find the Fish Lake Hightop Plateau, which is even taller at 11,600 feet.
Fish and Wildlife
Fish Lake is a popular spot for fishing! It's home to many different kinds of fish. You can find Rainbow Trout, Splake, Lake Trout, Kokanee Salmon, Brown Trout, and Tiger Trout.
However, there's one fish called the Yellow Perch that isn't supposed to be there. It's considered an invasive species, which means it's not native to the lake and can harm the natural balance. Because of this, people are encouraged to keep any Yellow Perch they catch. The lake is regularly stocked with fish by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
Pando: The Giant Aspen Grove
Just about a mile southwest of Fish Lake, you can find something truly special: Pando. This isn't just a forest of trees; it's one giant living organism! Pando is a huge group of quaking aspen trees that are all connected by one massive root system.
Some people believe Pando is the oldest living thing on Earth, possibly around 80,000 years old. It's also incredibly large, covering about 106 acres and weighing millions of pounds. It's like a secret giant hiding in plain sight!
Visiting Fish Lake
The area around Fish Lake gets a lot of snow in the winter. Sometimes, it can even snow as late as June! Because of this, most visitors come during the summer months when the weather is warm and sunny.
The closest town to Fish Lake is Koosharem, which is about 15 miles away. A larger town called Richfield is also nearby, about an hour's drive from the lake.