Camping:
Strawberry Reservoir
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Strawberry Reservoir is Utah’s premier trout fishery. If you want to catch
big trout and lots of them, be sure and make Strawberry your fishing
destination. In its position as Utah’s blue ribbon fishery it is a closely
watched body of water. Forest Service biologists pay attention to what goes
on at Strawberry.
Over the years that Strawberry has been impounded, it has been taken over by
chubs, suckers, and carp. Several times the reservoir has been poisoned,
killing all fish, game fish and non-game fish alike. After the most recent
poisoning of the reservoir, the Bear Lake strain of the Bonneville Cutthroat
was introduced. This species of trout is a voracious predator and so far
has shown to be a better control of the non-game species.
There are several species of fish that are stocked into the reservoir.
Rainbow Trout, Bear Lake Cutthroat, and Kokanee Salmon are all regularly
stocked.
Strawberry can be fished by shore fishermen and from boats. Shore fishermen
can find the best access and least windy areas on the Soldier Creek side of
the reservoir. The Soldier Creek dam and marina can provide a haven away
from the frequent winds that can come up. On a calm day the Ladders area is
a popular place for shore fishermen as well.
Once summertime hits the reservoir the folks in boats will do much better
than the shore fishermen. The trout move into deeper water with the warm
water temperatures of summer. Trolling lead core line or using downriggers
can be required to get your offering down to the fish. Try trolling
flatfish, dodgers, or pop gear to attract Cutthroat or Kokanee. You’ll
catch Rainbow Trout by trolling around weed beds, tube jigs or other soft
plastic baits seem to work well. Just anchoring and throwing out some
powerbait or worms seems to be a good way to pass the time as well. Fish
with a marshmallow or floating powerbait, run a sinker a foot or two back
from the hook. Let it sit on the bottom and keep a somewhat tight line.
There are a number of places to camp at Strawberry. The closest and most
popular is the Strawberry Bay complex. The Overflow Loop is the first
campground you will encounter on the road to Strawberry Bay. This
campground has 72 sites but sites 29 and 72 are the only redeeming sites, and
this is purely because of the views. The sites are a bit close together and
there are no trees or any vegetation other than sage. Each site does have a
picnic table and grill, the bathrooms are clean and well taken care of.
Next up are the A-G loops. The A loop is a long term campground, the sites
are $200.00 per month. There are 45 sites available.
The B loop is also known as the Cutthroat Loop, this loop has 27 sites. All
the sites feature full hook ups and are popular with RV’ers.
The Kokanee Loop is the C loop, this loop consists of 38 sites, two picnic
tables are at each site. There are fire rings and grills at all sites.
The D loop is the May Fry Loop. This loop has 45 sites, sites number 35,
37, 39, and 41 have the best views in the campground. Just like all the
other loops these sites have picnic tables, grill and fire pits.
The E loop is the Angler Loop. There are 21 sites in the loop, the best
views can be had at sites 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, and 16.
The two loops closest to the Marina and boat ramp are the F and G loops.
The F loop is also known as the Sage loop, there are 47 different fairly
spaced out sites.
The Swallow/Loop G is the closest to the ramp, there are 59 different sites,
some are single and some are double. Site number 14 is the absolute closest
to the marina, this site has a very nice view over the marina.
If camping over in the Bay really isn’t your style, Renegade Point will have
a few less people in it. Renegade Point is located on the Southern portion
of the reservoir. There are 66 sites in the two loops at Renegade. Just
like the Stawberry Bay campgrounds Renegade has absolutely no natural shade.
The campground is located on a barren hillside, sage is the only vegetation
nearby. Each site has a picnic table and grill, there is also a boat ramp
nearby.
East of the turn-off for Strawberry Bay and Renegade Point you will find the
Soldier Creek side of the reservoir. This side of the reservoir definitely
contains the more aesthetic camping possibilities. The turn off for the
Soldier Creek campground will be the first signage you will see. The
Soldier Creek campground has shadier sites and a wider spacing than the
Strawberry Bay sites.
The Powder Keg is loop A. Sites 1, 2, 4, 7, and 8 are nestled into an Aspen
grove, most of these are long term, but a couple are first come first
served. Powder Keg is probably the best loop in the Soldier Creek
campground. The Flintlock, Bivouac Bench, and Gunsight loops are ok, but
they don’t have quite as much shade.
The best campground on the reservoir is without a doubt the Aspen Grove
campground. The turnoff to this campground is located to the East of the
Soldier Creek Campground signage. You drive over the Soldier Creek Dam and
past the boat ramp and marina. Aspen Grove has 60 sites, all of them fairly
well spaced. The A loop features campsites that are very well naturally
shaded, each campsite features a picnic table, fire grate and grill. Sites
13 and 14 are tent only, site number 7 is the only one with full RV hook
ups. The B loop has a bit less shade, sites 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, and 52 are
well shaded and near the restrooms.
Be sure and stop by the visitor center near the beginning of the reservoir, the
rangers are very helpful and can answer any questions you have. There is
also a boardwalked, self-guided nature trail that runs along the Strawberry
river. Even if you don’t fish Strawberry is definitely a worthwhile
destination for site-seeing and camping.
Resources
Maps
6875 South Kiesta, West Jordan, UT 84084
