Anglers, conservationists press Forest Service and state for answers over Pineview access, fees and repairs
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Summary
A Mountain West Musky leader told the Blue Ribbon Fisheries Advisory Council that Pineview Reservoir users face early ramp closures, higher season-pass fees and limited reinvestment under a private concessionaire, and urged state involvement or transfer to state parks if problems persist.
Blake Millett, president of Mountain West Musky, told the Blue Ribbon Fisheries Advisory Council on Jan. 15 that anglers and volunteers are struggling with access and management at Pineview Reservoir, a high-profile tiger muskie fishery.
Millett said gates at Port Ramp and Cemetery Point were closed two weeks earlier than normal on Sept. 15, 2025, leaving launch congestion, long trailer backups and reduced ice-fishing access. He said visitors reported damaged concrete ramp slabs, deteriorated walkways and inconsistent enforcement by the concessionaire, Utah Recreation Company (URC).
"It honestly feels like price gouging," Millett said, criticizing URC’s Pineview pass, which he described as $197 per year and contrasted with a $125 year-round state parks pass. He also said attempts to learn how revenue from launch and pass fees is used have stalled. "I submitted a FOIA request for finances pertaining to Pineview Reservoir," he said, and "I never saw it." (He asked whether the Forest Service had hired a contractor and why ramps had been closed if construction had not started.)
Council biologists and members confirmed many of the access and safety concerns Millett described. They cited repeated reports of parking and launch congestion, gates that limit access to anglers and uneven maintenance of ADA facilities. A division biologist described instances where concession staff and Forest Service personnel were asked to clear ramps so URC could collect trailer fees.
The council discussed the Forest Service concession arrangement and the possibility of obtaining the concession contract for review. Several members said Representative Blake Moore’s office had been involved in preliminary conversations. Staff suggested that state parks has previously acquired federal lands and could be a long-term management alternative, but cautioned that such transfers can take years and require legislative or agency-level action.
DWR staff described next steps the council could assist with: coordinating meetings with the Forest Service ranger and Representative Moore’s staff; seeking a copy of the concession contract; and pursuing additional transparency around URC’s implementation of the concession scope and its investment in facilities. Millett said his chapter and volunteers are willing to support meetings and help document conditions.
The council did not take formal action on management change but agreed to support outreach and coordination. Trina Hedrick (cold water sport fish coordinator) said DWR would follow up with Forest Service contacts and with Representative Moore’s staff about obtaining contract and finance records. The council offered to send Blue Ribbon representatives to any upcoming meetings with the ranger or representative’s staff.
Next steps: DWR will try to obtain the concession contract, confirm whether a contractor has been hired for Port Ramp repairs, and coordinate potential attendance by Blue Ribbon members at meetings with Forest Service leadership or Representative Moore’s staff. The council also suggested continuing to monitor access and fee impacts on anglers while exploring state park transfer as a long-range possibility.
