Unit 175 Fishlake/Thousand Lakes
High, aspen-cloaked Fishlake National Forest country — a limited-entry unit that grows healthy mule deer and is managed for trophy bulls in the Greater Plateau elk complex.
Central Utah — Fishlake Plateau & Thousand Lake Mountain · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,194
sq mi
Public land
88%
approx.
Elevation
5,200–11,500
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
The Fishlake/Thousand Lakes unit covers roughly 1,190 square miles of central Utah high country built around the Fishlake Plateau, the Fish Lake Mountains, and Thousand Lake Mountain overlooking Capitol Reef. It is overwhelmingly public — the Fishlake National Forest fills the high summer range while BLM sagebrush benches and desert form the lower winter range on the west and north. Both the deer and elk hunts here are limited-entry and quality-managed: elk fall within the Greater Plateau Elk Complex (deer/elk herd unit 25) and are managed for trophy bulls, while the deer herd is a genuinely good limited-entry mule deer draw with healthy numbers and mature bucks. This is a draw-only unit rewarding patience, not a general over-the-counter grind.
Terrain
Rolling high-plateau ridges above 10,000 ft broken by steep creek drainages and large mountain meadows, dropping west and north to sagebrush benches and desert winter range around 5,200 ft above Highway 24. The northern two-thirds is high summer range; winter range concentrates in the lower northern third and the west-side benches.
Cover: Extensive Engelmann spruce–subalpine fir and ponderosa forest laced with immense aspen stands (including the famed Pando clone near Fish Lake), broken by grassy parks and wet meadows that usually hold a spring or a small lake. Lower elevations grade into mountain brush, pinyon-juniper, and sagebrush benches.
Landmarks: Fish Lake · Thousand Lake Mountain · Fishlake Plateau / Fish Lake Mountains · Mytoge Mountain · Pando aspen clone · Capitol Reef National Park (east skyline) · Awapa Plateau (south) · UT-24 corridor (west/south boundary) · Fremont River drainage
Access
Access is excellent and predominantly public. The Fishlake National Forest is threaded with well-maintained gravel mainlines feeding four-wheel-drive spurs and ATV trails that reach nearly all of the plateau, with BLM roads serving the lower desert and winter range. SITLA state-trust parcels are scattered through the unit and are generally open to hunting. Private ground and a few inholdings cluster around Fish Lake resorts, the Fremont/Loa valley bottoms, and along Highway 24 — carry an ownership map and respect posted parcels.
Managers: USFS Fishlake NF, BLM, SITLA, private
Access points: UT-24 from Loa/Fremont/Bicknell to Fish Lake and the plateau · UT-25 (Fish Lake Scenic Byway) up to Fish Lake · Forest roads onto Thousand Lake Mountain from Fremont · Gooseberry / Salina Creek approaches from the north · BLM desert roads off Highway 24 on the west benches
Species notes
Mule Deer
common qualityA solid limited-entry mule deer unit with healthy herds, good genetics, and moderate, huntable terrain that produces mature bucks for those who draw. It isn't premium-tier like the Henrys or Paunsaugunt, but the draw and quality management mean better age structure and less crowding than Utah's general units.
- →Glass the aspen/meadow edges and high sage parks at first and last light early in the season while bucks hold on summer range up high.
- →As storms and cold push deer, shift to the west-side sagebrush benches and pinyon-juniper of the winter range in the lower northern third.
- →Hunt the transition zones between the conifer/aspen and open parks — mature bucks bed in the black timber and feed the edges.
- →Cover ground with optics from the many gravel mainlines, then still-hunt the steep creek drainages the road-hunters skip.
Rocky Mountain Elk
common trophyPart of the Greater Plateau Elk Complex and managed for trophy bulls under limited-entry tags. Healthy herds spread across a large unit with restricted tag numbers let bulls reach mature age classes, so drawing here means a realistic shot at a quality rag-to-branch-antlered bull.
- →Work the aspen/spruce benches and wet meadows around Fish Lake and the plateau during the rut, bugling to locate herd bulls.
- →Set up on saddles and timber pockets between feeding meadows and dark north-slope bedding cover.
- →Hunt early and late — elk move to the open parks at the edges of daylight, then vanish into the black timber.
- →Glass the big meadow complexes on Thousand Lake Mountain and the Awapa fringe for herds pushed off pressured ground.
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears are established through the Fishlake National Forest's aspen and oak-brush country, taken on limited-entry bear tags. Numbers are healthy in the berry- and mast-rich mid-elevation timber.
- →Glass oak-brush and aspen slopes with berry and forb feed in late summer and fall.
- →Focus on north-facing timber and creek bottoms with water and shade during warm early stretches.
- →Check spring seeps and mountain meadows for feeding sign, then watch the openings at dawn and dusk.
Cougar
common opportunityCougars follow the strong deer and elk herds across the plateau and are taken mostly in winter. Rugged canyon and timber country holds good numbers.
- →Hunt after fresh snow, cutting the forest roads and ridgelines for tracks.
- →Concentrate on deer winter range and the steep pinyon-juniper canyons where lions ambush.
- →Follow the deer down to the west benches as winter deepens.
Pro tips
- →Treat this as a quality draw unit — invest scouting time, because limited tags reward hunters who know the specific drainages holding mature bucks and bulls.
- →Learn the high-summer-range vs. west-bench-winter-range split; where you hunt depends entirely on the weather that week.
- →Glass the aspen/meadow edges hard at the edges of daylight — the black timber holds the mature animals mid-day.
- →Use the extensive forest road network to cover country and glass, but hunt the steep creek drainages on foot to escape road pressure.
- →Respect the private inholdings and resort parcels around Fish Lake; the surrounding public land is vast, so there's no reason to push boundaries.
Watch out for
- !Private inholdings and resort/valley parcels around Fish Lake, Loa, and Fremont are scattered through otherwise public country — verify ownership.
- !Early, heavy snow at high elevation can close roads and strand vehicles; watch the forecast and have a bail-out plan.
- !High elevation (much of the hunt above 9,000–10,000 ft) — plan for altitude, cold, and long recovery packs.
- !SITLA parcels are open but still state land with rules; know where you are.
- !Limited-entry tags mean high expectations from other hunters — mature animals are pressured, so hunt hard and away from the roads.
Logistics
Base out of Loa, Fremont, or Bicknell along Highway 24 for the quickest access to the plateau and Thousand Lake Mountain, with Torrey handy on the east side and Richfield/Salina the larger service towns for fuel, groceries, and lodging. Dispersed camping is abundant across the Fishlake National Forest, with developed campgrounds around Fish Lake; the high country is cold and can snow early, so come self-sufficient. Carry a Fishlake NF motor-vehicle-use map plus an ownership layer for the private pockets around Fish Lake and the valley bottoms.
Nearest towns: Loa, Fremont, Bicknell, Torrey, Richfield, Salina
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Utah sources:
Research sources: UDWR Deer Herd Unit 25/26 Management Plan (Fishlake/Thousand Lakes summer/winter range, terrain) · UDWR Elk Management Plan — Greater Plateau Elk Complex (limited-entry trophy bull management) · GOHUNT Utah Fishlake/Thousand Lakes elk & deer unit profiles (public %, elevation, terrain, trophy management)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 175 in Utah?
- Unit 175 (Fishlake/Thousand Lakes) covers about 1,194 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,200 to 11,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 175?
- Approximately 88% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Fishlake NF, BLM, SITLA, private. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 175?
- Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Utah agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 175 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.