U.S. Forest Service · Fishlake National Forest · Utah

Mallard Bay Overflow Recreation Site

Overview Mallard Bay Overflow Camping Area is next to Fish Lake and the Fishlake Scenic Byway in central Utah at an 9,000 feet elevation. The camping area is used as an overflow camping area when all other campgrounds in the Fish Lake Basin are full. Recreation Fish Lake is Utah's largest natural mountain lake, covering 2,500 acres. It is famous for its 20-40 pound Mackinaw lake trout. Anglers also enjoy fishing for rainbow trout and splake. Boating, canoeing, swimming and scuba diving are popular activities. The five-mile Pelican Canyon Trail begins at nearby Bowery Creek Campground.

More like this: first-come in Utah

Mallard Bay Overflow Recreation Site
Photo from the area. J Zapell (Public domain), via Wikimedia Commons

Amenities & rules

HookupsNone
EquipmentRVs & trailers, Tents
FeesPlease call or email for fees. Please Note: All campgrounds on the Fishlake National Forest are managed by High Country Recreation under the terms and conditions of a concession permit that was issued to them by the Forest Service in 2020. Email: highcountryrec@gmail.com Phone: 435-633-3028

Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.

Season & status

StatusOpen
SeasonMay
ForestFishlake National Forest
FeesPlease call or email for fees. Please Note: All campgrounds on the Fishlake National Forest are managed by High Country Recreation under the terms and conditions of a concession permit that was issued to them by the Forest Service in 2020. Email: highcountryrec@gmail.com Phone: 435-633-3028

Fishlake National Forest recreation page ↗

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Mallard Bay Overflow Recreation Site20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 0.70 inches of precipitationFebruary: 0.48 inches of precipitationMarch: 0.72 inches of precipitationApril: 0.59 inches of precipitationMay: 0.88 inches of precipitationJune: 0.55 inches of precipitationJuly: 1.29 inches of precipitationAugust: 1.37 inches of precipitationSeptember: 1.14 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.16 inches of precipitationNovember: 0.56 inches of precipitationDecember: 0.65 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 25.3°F averageFebruary: 29.3°F averageMarch: 36.5°F averageApril: 42.9°F averageMay: 50.5°F averageJune: 60.3°F averageJuly: 66.4°F averageAugust: 64.2°F averageSeptember: 56.9°F averageOctober: 45.3°F averageNovember: 34.8°F averageDecember: 25.0°F average0 in0.5 in1 in1.5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Koosharem, 8 miles from the campground at 6,930 feet, station USC00424764 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 10 inches a year.

Getting there

Coordinates38.5287° N, 111.7357° W · Directions ↗

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Salina Canyon East Rx

    21 mi from the campground · 17,375 acres

  • Prescribed
    Pocket Piles Rx

    37 mi from the campground

  • Prescribed
    Iron Draw Piles Rx

    41 mi from the campground

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Call the managing office before you drive.

Supplies & services

Dump stationDump station ↗0.3 mi

Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors. Call ahead; hours change seasonally.

Explore

Worth a stop

  • 0.3 mi
    Doctor Creek
    1.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 0.3 mi
    Lakeshore ↗
    18.2 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.2 mi
    Pelican Canyon
    3.7 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 3.8 mi
    Right Fork Pelican Canyon
    1.8 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike
  • 4.1 mi
    Pole Canyon ↗
    9.5 mi trail · hiking, horse, bike, e-bike

Trailheads within three miles

Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.

Public land it sits in

On Wilderness Atlas →

This campground sits inside Fishlake National Forest.

Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.

On the National Register nearby

On Register Atlas →

Guidebooks for Utah

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to camp at Mallard Bay Overflow Recreation Site?

Please call or email for fees. Please Note: All campgrounds on the Fishlake National Forest are managed by High Country Recreation under the terms and conditions of a concession permit that was issued to them by the Forest Service in 2020. Email: highcountryrec@gmail.com Phone: 435-633-3028

Source: Forest Service

Is Mallard Bay Overflow Recreation Site open right now?

Open as of Oct 26, 2026. Season May.

Source: Forest Service status

What if Mallard Bay Overflow Recreation Site is full?

The nearest public campgrounds are Doctor Creek (0.5 mi), Mackinaw (2.1 mi, partly first-come), and Bowery Creek (3.8 mi).

Source: Campgrounds nearby