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Steinaker Reservoir

Topside view of Steinaker

Steinaker Reservoir is a couple of miles north of Vernal on US 199. Click here for map. The lake nestles against hard sandstone from the Cretaceous era.

Our information on Steinaker is based on a single visit. Most of the feedback we've received from other divers has been negative. Please tell us about your experiences to help us complete this review.

Picture: Bruce Argyle, Aug 16, 1998.

Camping is available at Steinaker State Park. Weather tends to be quite warm in the summer. Nights are cooler, but usually still OK in shirt-sleeve and shorts.

The Water: Surface temperature in mid-summer is 71 degrees. Visibility is 6-10 feet, but varies considerably. It's best in the rocky areas. Thermocline is at 30 feet with temperatures below at 61.

Dowd Mountain Trail is 40 miles away from Steinaker.
Crayfish What to see: There are crayfish in Steinaker, although not as many as in Red Fleet or Flaming Gorge. You'll see them out during the day, because there are too many to fit under the rocks. Grab as many as you want. You need a Utah fishing license, and remember you can't transport them alive. (They're quite tasty.)

Picture: Crayfish on sand near a sandstone slab
Bruce Argyle, Nikonos V w 20 mm lens, double YS-50 strobes
The bottom is mostly mud. Visibility quickly drops to zero if you're bottom-bouncing. Smallmouth bass cruise the rocky areas. We saw mostly babies. The lower visibility makes them hard to spot, unless you chum them in with bait and rock-clicking.

Picture: Small smallmouth bass
Bruce Argyle, Nikonos V 20 mm lens, 2 YS50 strobes

Juvenile smallmouth bass

Fees: There's a $4 fee for the state park. (We've heard that diving from the park isn't very good.) You can dive the reservoir from the shore (see below) without entering the park.

Exposure: If you stay shallow, you'll be comfortable in farmer john and jacket (no hood or gloves) during a long dive.

Regulations: Spearfishing is allowed in Steinaker, starting with the 2001 season. See Regulations. Eat all the crayfish you want. We haven't personally tried all the recipes on our Crayfish Recipe page. Let us know how your meal turns out!

Bruce Argyle holds a crawdad
Picture by Mike Engberson, Nikonos V 35 mm

Diver (Bruce) holding crayfish

Air fills: Atlantis Divers is 5 miles away in Vernal.   435-789-3616

Our recommendation: Steinaker is diveable. But it isn't that great. If you're diving near Vernal, we'd suggest Red Fleet. (The visibility is better, the scenery is beautiful, and it's just plain more fun.) And of course, Flaming Gorge is just 40 miles up the road. Steinaker is best in late fall, as the water clears and the algae dies back a bit.

Sample dive #1: Rocks 'n Crawdads. As you drive north along the shore of the reservoir, watch for a small parking area on the left side of the road. The lake is only about 40 feet away. As you enter the water, go right around the rocky point. At around 10-15 feet, you'll see the most crawdads and bass.

Getting there: Click here for map. Take I-15 to the Orem 800 North exit. Go eastbound on US-189 up Provo Canyon to Heber, then right (south) on US-40. Turn right (eastbound) on I-80, In Vernal, leave US-40 for US-191 northbound (the turn is at "Vernal Avenue"). Drive about 5 miles to the reservoir.
Alternate: Get on I-80 as though you were going to Park City. From I-80 (Ogden divers on I-84 will need to come south about 20 miles on I-80), turn south on US-40/US-189. Drive straight through Heber, continuing east on US-40 when the routes separate. In Vernal, leave US-40 for US-191 northbound.