Panguitch Lake

Panguitch Lake sits at 8,212 feet about 18 miles southwest of Panguitch in Dixie National Forest, fed by Blue Springs Creek, Clear Creek, and Ipson Creek. The name comes from the Paiute word for "big fish," and the lake earns it — rainbow, brown, cutthroat, and brook trout all hold in its cool water, with some of the biggest rainbows caught anywhere in Utah showing up here in summer.

On the lake

• Roughly 10 miles of shoreline with two public boat ramps and a fish cleaning station
• Two Forest Service campgrounds, Panguitch Lake North and South, plus private lodging in the small community around the lake
• Boating, fly fishing, and shoreline access year-round, with ice fishing drawing anglers in winter

Beyond the water, the surrounding forest carries hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and an extensive ATV trail network, making the lake as much a base camp for the Markagunt Plateau backcountry as a destination on its own. This is Forest Service land, not park land, so dogs and dispersed camping in the surrounding forest are generally allowed under standard USFS rules.