Strawberry Reservoir Jet Ski Rentals

Strawberry Reservoir is a different animal from the valley lakes. It sits high in the mountains up Highway 40, the water runs cold and clear even in July, and it spreads out far enough that you can ride for a long stretch, peel off into your own arm of the lake, and not see another machine. If you want elbow room, this is the Utah lake that has it in spades.

A cold, high mountain lake: dress for it

The first thing valley riders notice is the temperature. You climb a long way to get here, and both the air and the water stay cooler than what you left behind at the trailer. A wetsuit or some layers make a long day a lot more comfortable, and the high-altitude sun is stronger than it feels, so sunscreen earns its keep.

Strawberry is also one of Utah’s famous trout fisheries, which shapes the etiquette out here. You will share the water with anglers (boats trolling slow lines, folks tucked into the quiet coves). Give them plenty of room, ease off the throttle near shore and around fishing boats, and everybody gets the day they drove up for. There is so much open water that crowding anyone is never necessary.

Get out early, then watch the sky

Big open mountain reservoirs tend to build an afternoon chop, and Strawberry is no exception. The upside of all that acreage is that the wind disperses instead of trapping you in one bouncy bay. Even so, the calmest, friendliest water sits in the early hours, before the breeze fills in. First-timers and kids will have a much better time if you launch in the morning.

Mountain weather also turns fast. A clear start can go gray and gusty by mid-afternoon, so glance at the forecast, keep an eye on the clouds building over the ridgelines, and never feel bad about wrapping up early if the lake gets ornery. It will still be here next trip.

The AIS inspection at launch

Strawberry Reservoir has an aquatic invasive species inspection station, and whenever it’s open, every boat stops there before launching. It is part of Utah’s statewide effort to keep invasive mussels out, it applies to everyone, and it is the law, not an optional courtesy. The stop usually takes about 5 to 10 minutes. We hand our machines over clean, drained, and dry, so you should move through it without a hitch. Utah DWR lists Strawberry among the waters with Eurasian watermilfoil (opens in a new tab), and one plant fragment can start a new patch in another lake, so clean and drain your machine before you leave the water, and always tow with the drain plug out. For what to expect at the station, see our AIS inspection walkthrough, and for the full picture of how AIS works, our rider resources.

Why Strawberry is a weekend, not a morning

Strawberry is a haul from us. From our Woods Cross pickup it’s about 85 miles and roughly an hour and a half up into the high country, far enough that you wouldn’t make this a quick before-work spin. Treat it like the real trip it is, and it pays you back.

Day and multi-day rentals earn their keep here. Grab the machines from us, point the truck up the canyon, and turn it into a proper getaway. Camp nearby, ride a couple of full days across all that open water, and the long tow stops feeling like a downside and starts feeling like the whole point. For a base camp, the Forest Service has four campgrounds on or just above the water: Strawberry Bay, Soldier Creek, Renegade, and Aspen Grove. You can reserve sites on Recreation.gov, so grab your campsite when you book your machines. The Forest Service sites charge their own fees, paid to them, not to us: in 2026 their Recreation.gov listings gave day use at $15 (Strawberry Bay’s fishing-access parking and Soldier Creek), said camping fees include the boat launch, and offered a $122 season pass covering day use and boat launch at Strawberry and Currant Creek. Check Recreation.gov (opens in a new tab) for 2027 rates. For a lake this size and this far out, multi-day is simply the right way to do it.

Because you pick the machines up from us in town, there’s no rental counter to wait at once you get there. You still share the public ramp, so on a busy weekend, get there early. Reserve ahead, load up, and decide which corner of this enormous reservoir you want to chase down first.