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Paradise at Moon Lake |
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(Editor's note: This aricle is several years old. We include it because it provides interesting insights and history. Moon Lake Resort is now owned and operated by: Julie, Bill and Jefferson Reardon. See their website) By Sam Webb
There is a first class campground, running water and all the other amenities that make camping easy and fun. There is also a lodge, the Moon Lake Lodge, and about 18 cabins. The lodge and the cabins are owned and managed by the Cal Clark family. About 20 years ago Cal Clark took his family on a ride, just to get them out of the city and to see some new country. They had never been to Moon Lake before. When they got to the lake they noticed an old lodge and some rundown cabins nestled in the pines near the lake. They also noticed a for sale sign. The family fell in love with Moon Lake, the lodge and the area. The for sale sign came down and the future of the Clark family was changed forever. They got to work and fixed up the cabins and lodge and then told a few friends about the place. The friends came and then told their friends and the cabins have been booked solid ever since. Some families have been staying in the cabins each summer for almost as long as the Clarks have owned the place. Once you find your own private paradise you don't spread the word around and once the cabins were full, everyone just quit talking. Most families book 'their' cabin a full year in advance and many of them will be mad at me because I am talking about the place in this article! I fished Moon Lake on a Friday afternoon and evening. I drove my old Bronco out onto the beach and looked around. There was at least a full mile of clean white sand, beautiful blue water and not another person in sight. I couldn't believe it. Where were all the people? Moon Lake is only a couple hours' drive from the Wasatch Front and yet I was the only one on the entire lake. Even as I write this article I find it hard to believe that so few people have discovered the beauty and fishing at Moon Lake. I cast a Mepp spinner (#1 with a copper blade) out into the lake where the beach dropped off suddenly into deep water. I immediately began to catch fish — lots of fish. I bent the barbs down on the hook so I could release the fish easier and not harm them and then really had some fun. Most of the fish were rainbow in the 10 to 12 inch range. They were fat and healthy and they really socked that spinner. Sometimes they would follow the spinner almost to my feet before they would either savagely smash it or would spook and dart back into the deeper water. I had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon. There is no boat ramp so only small fishing boats can be launched (the Lodge rents boats and motors) but if you get out and troll or jig in the deeper water there is a good chance to pick up some big browns or cutthroat. Several fish pushing 10 pounds come out of the lake each year. If you haven't discovered Moon Lake, don't go. The more I think about it, I would just as soon have that whole beach and that fun fishing to myself. Call me selfish if you like, but I already have a call in to Ed Clark to see if he might have a cabin free sometime before fall. Now that I have discovered paradise I would rather keep it a secret too. Although the cabins are full most of the time, if you are flexable in your schedule or can come during the week, there is a chance you might get in. You will be pleasantly suprised by the price and I guarantee you will start making it a yearly habit. If you get an answering machine, leave a message and Ed will call you back. Good luck! I asked both Cal and Ed Clark if they would consider selling the lodge and cabins to me. They both just laughed — sell paradise — never! |
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Nestled
in the pine trees at the base of the Uinta Mountain high country is a
long narrow lake with several miles of sandy beaches. The lake is deep,
almost 250 feet in places, and teeming with trout, kokanee, splake and
white fish.