Fishlake/Thousand Lakes elk unit: draw, harvest and public land
Fishlake/Thousand Lakes is a 1,191-square-mile limited-entry bull elk unit in DWR's Southern Region of Utah. Limited-entry bull elk hunters here took 231 bulls on 379 permits in 2025, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary). The unit is 74.5% public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (392,469 acres), measured from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023).
Data updated October 2026. Seasons: DWR's 2026 guidebook. Harvest: DWR's reports, 2014 to 2025. Draw: DWR's 2024 and 2025 results. Land: UGRC, 2023.
National forestBLMState trust land (SITLA)DWR wildlife landNational park or monument (NPS, no hunting)Tribal land (tribe's rules)Other public land (highways, other state land)Fishlake/Thousand LakesNeighboring elk unitsLake or riverHighway
| DWR region | Southern Region (Cedar City office) |
|---|---|
| Size | 762,516 acres (1,191 square miles) |
| Public land | 74.5% (568,448 acres) |
| 2026 hunts on this unit | 7 (DWR guidebook) |
| Bulls harvested, 2025 | 231 on 379 permits |
| Harvest per 100 hunters, 2025 | 61 (from DWR's figures) |
| 2025 first-choice applicants | 3,193 residents, 1,054 nonresidents (360 drew) |
| Towns in and near it | Lyman, Torrey, Sigurd, Loa, Salina and Aurora |
When are the 2026 elk hunts on Fishlake/Thousand Lakes?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 7 limited-entry bull elk hunts on this unit, shown here with the 2025 draw for the same hunt number where DWR used it.
| Hunt number | Hunt | 2026 season | 2025 first-choice applicants (residents) | 2025 permits drawn (residents) | 2025 first-choice applicants (nonresidents) | 2025 permits drawn (nonresidents) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3018 | Archery | Aug. 15-Sept. 15 | 420 | 79 | 229 | 8 |
| EB3063 | Early rifle | Sept. 16-Sept. 20 | 1,001 | 32 | 306 | 3 |
| EB3064 | Midseason rifle | Oct. 3-Oct. 15 | 694 | 93 | 190 | 9 |
| EB3065 | Late rifle | Nov. 7-Nov. 15 | 546 | 54 | 122 | 6 |
| EB3096 | Muzzleloader | Sept. 21-Oct. 2 | 318 | 48 | 120 | 5 |
| EB3120 | Multiseason | Limited-entry seasons | 204 | 10 | 79 | 1 |
| EB3192 | Late archery | Nov. 28-Dec. 13 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 2 |
Source: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook, hunt tables, pages 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59 and 60; boundaries from DWR Hunt Planner hunt table. DWR can change a season during the year: check the Utah Hunt Planner before you go.
How many bulls are taken on Fishlake/Thousand Lakes each year?
DWR's harvest reports cover Fishlake/Thousand Lakes' limited-entry bull elk hunts in 12 years from 2014 to 2025. In 2025, 376 hunters afield took 231 bulls, 61 for every 100 hunters. In 2024: 209 from 354 hunters on 356 permits.
| Year | Hunts reported | Permits | Hunters afield | Bulls harvested | Harvest per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | 379 | 376 | 231 | 61 |
| 2024 | 7 | 356 | 354 | 209 | 59 |
| 2023 | 7 | 303 | 300 | 157 | 52 |
| 2022 | 6 | 262 | 259 | 170 | 66 |
| 2021 | 6 | 239 | 236 | 160 | 68 |
| 2020 | 6 | 218 | 216 | 153 | 71 |
| 2019 | 6 | 207 | 204 | 134 | 66 |
| 2018 | 6 | 204 | 202 | 149 | 74 |
| 2017 | 6 | 192 | 190 | 125 | 66 |
| 2016 | 6 | 191 | 191 | 122 | 64 |
| 2015 | 5 | 192 | 190 | 121 | 64 |
| 2014 | 5 | 193 | 192 | 131 | 68 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2014 to 2025, every limited-entry bull elk hunt DWR printed for this unit's name each year, added up by FilledTag. CWMU, landowner, conservation and sportsman permits are not included. Harvest per 100 hunters is worked out from DWR's own two numbers.
Each 2025 hunt on Fishlake/Thousand Lakes
| Hunt | Weapon | Permits | Hunters afield | Bulls harvested | DWR's percent success | Average days | Satisfaction (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3018 | Archery | 89 | 87 | 29 | 33.3% | 13.1 | 3.5 |
| EB3063 | Early rifle | 38 | 38 | 32 | 84.2% | 3.6 | 3.7 |
| EB3064 | Midseason rifle | 108 | 107 | 62 | 57.9% | 6.8 | 3.4 |
| EB3065 | Late rifle | 64 | 64 | 54 | 84.4% | 4.5 | 3.6 |
| EB3096 | Muzzleloader | 55 | 55 | 42 | 76.4% | 5.3 | 4 |
| EB3120 | Multiseason | 13 | 13 | 9 | 69.2% | 19.8 | 3 |
| EB3192 | Late archery | 12 | 12 | 3 | 25% | 9.4 | 3.7 |
Source: DWR 2025 harvest report (preliminary).
Fishlake/Thousand Lakes by weapon, year by year
Bulls harvested of permits issued, by weapon, for each year DWR reported since 2018:
| Weapon | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 29 of 89 | 28 of 87 | 17 of 73 | 20 of 65 | 22 of 59 | 17 of 53 | 15 of 52 | 17 of 49 |
| Early rifle | 32 of 38 | 24 of 37 | 26 of 32 | 48 of 61 | ||||
| Late archery | 3 of 12 | 1 of 5 | 0 of 5 | |||||
| Late rifle | 54 of 64 | 45 of 61 | 33 of 51 | 38 of 44 | ||||
| Midseason rifle | 62 of 108 | 64 of 102 | 40 of 86 | 25 of 42 | ||||
| Multiseason | 9 of 13 | 11 of 12 | 8 of 11 | 9 of 10 | 7 of 9 | 8 of 8 | 8 of 8 | 7 of 8 |
| Muzzleloader | 42 of 55 | 36 of 52 | 33 of 45 | 30 of 40 | 24 of 36 | 26 of 33 | 20 of 30 | 26 of 31 |
| Rifle (any legal weapon) | 107 of 135 | 102 of 124 | 91 of 117 | 99 of 116 |
Source: DWR harvest reports, 2018 to 2025. An empty cell means DWR printed no hunt of that kind on this unit that year.
How many hunters apply for Fishlake/Thousand Lakes elk permits?
In DWR's 2025 draw, 3,193 residents put a Fishlake/Thousand Lakes elk hunt first and 326 drew a permit, 10.2% of them; 1,054 nonresidents applied first choice and 34 drew (3.2%). In 2024, 3,097 residents applied first choice and 305 drew. Limited-entry and once-in-a-lifetime permits are drawn on bonus points: DWR reserves half of each hunt's permits for the applicants with the most points and draws the rest at random (Utah Admin. Rule R657-62-8).
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3018 | Limited-entry archery bull elk | 420 | 79 | 229 | 8 |
| EB3063 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - early | 1,001 | 32 | 306 | 3 |
| EB3064 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - mid | 694 | 93 | 190 | 9 |
| EB3065 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - late | 546 | 54 | 122 | 6 |
| EB3096 | Limited-entry muzzleloader bull elk | 318 | 48 | 120 | 5 |
| EB3120 | Limited-entry multi-season bull elk | 204 | 10 | 79 | 1 |
| EB3192 | Limited-entry archery bull elk - late | 10 | 10 | 8 | 2 |
| Hunt | Residents, reserved permits: points | Residents, random permits: points | Nonresidents, reserved permits: points | Nonresidents, random permits: points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3018 | 7 to 13 | 1 to 7 | 19 to 22 | 2 to 7 |
| EB3063 | 18 to 25 | 0 to 15 | 25 | 4 |
| EB3064 | 10 to 15 | 1 to 11 | 21 to 22 | 11 to 19 |
| EB3065 | 12 to 18 | 0 to 12 | 20 to 22 | 8 to 19 |
| EB3096 | 12 to 18 | 1 to 11 | 23 to 24 | 4 to 6 |
| EB3120 | 23 to 26 | 1 to 22 | 5 | |
| EB3192 | 3 to 4 | 0 to 2 | 5 | 5 |
From DWR's 2025 drawing results, which list each point level's permits from the reserved half (most points first) and from the random half. A blank cell means no permit of that kind went to the group.
| Hunt | DWR's hunt name | Resident applicants | Residents drawn | Nonresident applicants | Nonresidents drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB3018 | Limited-entry archery bull elk | 392 | 76 | 203 | 8 |
| EB3063 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - early | 1,111 | 30 | 313 | 3 |
| EB3064 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - mid | 578 | 90 | 178 | 9 |
| EB3065 | Limited-entry ALW (rifle) bull elk - late | 498 | 51 | 121 | 5 |
| EB3096 | Limited-entry muzzleloader bull elk | 309 | 45 | 121 | 5 |
| EB3120 | Limited-entry multi-season bull elk | 199 | 9 | 96 | 1 |
| EB3192 | Limited-entry archery bull elk - late | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
Source: DWR 2025 drawing results and DWR 2024 drawing results, first-choice applications only, as DWR reports them; DWR leaves out second to fifth choices. The share who drew in a past year is not a forecast for the next draw. Deadlines and fees: Utah draw deadlines and fees.
How much of Fishlake/Thousand Lakes is public land?
74.5% of the Fishlake/Thousand Lakes elk unit is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 568,448 of 762,516 acres. The largest share is national forest, 392,469 acres or 51.5% of the unit. 23 acres are tribal land, hunted only under the tribe's own rules. 104,386 acres are National Park Service land, closed to hunting.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Fishlake/Thousand Lakes |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 392,469 | 51.5% |
| BLM | 150,004 | 19.7% |
| National park or monument (NPS, no hunting) | 104,386 | 13.7% |
| State trust land (SITLA) | 25,923 | 3.4% |
| Other public land (highways, other state land) | 132 | under 0.1% |
| DWR wildlife land | 52 | under 0.1% |
| Tribal land (tribe's rules) | 23 | under 0.1% |
| Private and other land not shown | 89,527 | 11.7% |
Measured by FilledTag inside DWR's 2026 boundary from UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023). State trust land (SITLA) is open to hunting where it can be reached legally; many sections touch no public road. A permit does not allow hunting on CWMUs, tribal land or national parks.
What other hunts share the Fishlake/Thousand Lakes elk unit's ground?
Utah draws a separate map of units for each species and hunt type. These units cover part of the same ground, measured from DWR's 2026 boundaries:
| Unit | Hunt type | Share of Fishlake/Thousand Lakes it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Fishlake/Thousand Lakes | general-season spike elk (over the counter) | 100% |
| Plateau | limited-entry buck pronghorn | 100% |
| Fishlake | general-season deer | 57% |
| Thousand Lakes | limited-entry deer | 43% |
How do you get to the Fishlake/Thousand Lakes unit?
Highways through the unit: I-70 (about 23 miles inside it), US 50 (about 19 miles inside it) and US 89 (about 3 miles inside it). Towns inside: Lyman, Torrey, Sigurd, Bicknell and Fremont. Nearby: Loa (on the line), Salina (on the line), Aurora (2 miles) and Koosharem (3 miles). Rivers: Fremont River (37 miles) and Sevier River (4 miles).
Which elk units border or overlap Fishlake/Thousand Lakes?
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Bulls harvested (DWR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder | 1,849 | 86.8% | 96 (2025) |
| Fillmore, Pahvant | 849 | 75.6% | 60 (2025) |
| Manti | 2,561 | 73.5% | 439 (2025) |
| Monroe | 690 | 75.4% | 39 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
When are the 2026 elk hunts on Fishlake/Thousand Lakes?
DWR's 2026 guidebook lists 7 limited-entry bull elk hunts on Fishlake/Thousand Lakes: Archery Aug. 15-Sept. 15 (EB3018), Early rifle Sept. 16-Sept. 20 (EB3063), Midseason rifle Oct. 3-Oct. 15 (EB3064), Late rifle Nov. 7-Nov. 15 (EB3065), Muzzleloader Sept. 21-Oct. 2 (EB3096) and Multiseason Limited-entry seasons (EB3120), and 1 more in the table above.
How many bulls were harvested on Fishlake/Thousand Lakes in 2025?
231, by DWR's 2025 harvest report (preliminary): 376 hunters afield on 379 permits, 61 bulls for every 100 hunters. In 2024 the count was 209.
How many people apply for Fishlake/Thousand Lakes elk permits?
3,193 residents and 1,054 nonresidents made a Fishlake/Thousand Lakes hunt their first choice in DWR's 2025 draw; 326 residents and 34 nonresidents drew (DWR 2025 drawing results).
Is Fishlake/Thousand Lakes mostly public land?
Yes. 74.5% of the unit is public land open to hunting, most of it national forest (392,469 acres), measured from UGRC's land ownership map.
What is the closest town to the Fishlake/Thousand Lakes elk unit?
Lyman, Torrey and Sigurd are inside the unit. Just outside: Loa (on the line), Salina (on the line) and Aurora (2 miles).
DWR's boundary description for Fishlake/Thousand Lakes
Emery, Piute, Sevier and Wayne counties: Boundary begins at I-70 and SR-24 north of Sigurd; south and east on SR-24 to the Caineville Wash road; north on this road to the Cathedral Valley road; west on this road to Rock Springs Bench and the Last Chance Desert road; north on this road to the Blue Flats road; north and east on this road to the Willow Springs road; north on this road towards Windy Peak and the Windy Peak road; west on this road to SR-72; north on SR-72 to I-70; west on I-70 to SR-24 north of Sigurd. EXCLUDES ALL NATIONAL PARKS. USGS 1:100,000 Maps: Loa, Salina. Boundary questions? Call the Cedar City office, 435-865-6100.
From DWR's 2026 unit layer.
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest, permits, hunters, days and satisfaction: DWR harvest reports, 2013 to 2025 (2025 preliminary).
- 2026 hunts and season dates: 2026 Utah Big Game Application Guidebook; boundary names: DWR Hunt Planner hunt table.
- Applicants and permits drawn: DWR drawing results, 2024 and 2025.
- Unit boundary: DWR 2026 hunt unit boundaries. Public land: UGRC's statewide land ownership map (last edited 2023). WMAs: DWR public access properties (WMAs). Walk-In Access: DWR Walk-In Access properties (December 17, 2025).
- Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Numbers are copied from DWR and the State of Utah, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
Utah hunting units Southern Region Utah draw deadlines Boulder Fillmore, Pahvant Manti Monroe