Question 1

Who named Flaming Gorge, and when was the dam built?

Accepted Answer

Major John Wesley Powell named it in May 1869 on the first documented expedition down the Green River, struck by red cliffs he said could be seen from a score of miles away. Nearly a century later the Bureau of Reclamation built the dam: construction began June 18, 1958, the last concrete was placed November 15, 1962, and Lady Bird Johnson dedicated the 502-foot thin-arch structure on August 17, 1964.

Question 2

How big is Flaming Gorge Reservoir?

Accepted Answer

When full at elevation 6,040 feet, the reservoir holds 3,788,900 acre-feet, covers 42,020 acres, extends about 91 miles upstream, and has roughly 375 miles of shoreline, with a maximum depth near 436 feet at the dam. As one of the four initial Colorado River Storage Project units, it is operated by the Bureau of Reclamation as system storage feeding downstream Lake Powell.

Question 3

Why is the Green River below the dam such good fishing?

Accepted Answer

Utah designates it a Blue Ribbon water. Cold, clear water drawn from deep in the reservoir keeps the river roughly 40 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit year-round, and selective-withdrawal structures retrofitted in 1977-78 let operators hold summer releases near 50-55 degrees to boost trout growth. Utah DWR surveys routinely document thousands of trout per mile, highest in the A section from the dam down to Little Hole.

Question 4

What fish records has Flaming Gorge produced?

Accepted Answer

The reservoir holds the Utah catch-and-keep lake trout record, a 53-pound, 15-ounce fish caught by Chance Scott in 2020, the 48-inch catch-and-release lake trout record set by Matt Smiley in 2019, and the state record kokanee salmon, 6 pounds 5 ounces, caught by George Sharman in 2015. Because small lake trout can over-prey on kokanee, their main forage, managers encourage heavy harvest of smaller lake trout.

Question 5

Do I need two licenses to fish Flaming Gorge?

Accepted Answer

Utah and Wyoming maintain a reciprocity agreement: a resident with a valid fishing license in one state can buy a reciprocal permit, about $10, to fish the other state's portion under that state's rules. Only Utah and Wyoming residents may buy it, and it is valid for the calendar year of purchase. Two rules apply broadly: invasive burbot must be killed, and kokanee may not be kept from September 10 to November 30.

Question 6

Do boats need an inspection before launching?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Both states run mandatory aquatic-invasive-species programs because Flaming Gorge is not yet mussel-infested. Utah boaters must complete an annual mussel-aware course, display a current-year decal, and stop at every operating inspection station; arriving from a mussel-infested water such as Lake Powell within 30 days means decontamination first. Wyoming likewise requires a valid AIS decal before launching.

Question 7

Why are the rocks at Flaming Gorge so red?

Accepted Answer

The flaming color comes from vivid red Triassic-age formations, chiefly the Moenkopi, Chinle and Dinwoody, tilted and lifted by the rise of the Uinta Mountains, one of the few major North American ranges running east-west. Most of the uplift came during the Laramide Orogeny, roughly 70 to 40 million years ago. The canyon itself is attributed to superposition: the Green River kept cutting down into the rising range.

Question 8

Where can you watch the kokanee salmon run?

Accepted Answer

Sheep Creek, which enters the reservoir about six miles south of Manila, Utah, hosts a major run, primarily in September and early October, when the normally silver kokanee turn brilliant red to spawn. Visitors watch from the Highway 44 bridge and a streamside trail. To protect the spawn, Sheep Creek is closed to fishing from August 15 until the last Saturday of November.

Question 9

Why does the reservoir level rise and fall?

Accepted Answer

As of September 3, 2026, Flaming Gorge Reservoir is at 6,009.73 ft, 13.31 ft above the all-time record low. Flaming Gorge is fed almost entirely by Upper Colorado River Basin snowmelt, so its level swings with each winter's snowpack, typically rising through early summer and drawing down through fall and winter. By 2026, after historically low snowpack, the pool sat near 6,015 feet, about 75 percent of live capacity, with supplemental releases to Lake Powell expected to drop it roughly 35 feet over the following year.

Flaming Gorge Reservoir Water Level History

Common questions

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