<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2019-03-29</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001022646</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ULTRA PETROLEUM CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>UPL</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001196791</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>HONEYFIELD DAVID W</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>116 INVERNESS DRIVE EAST #400</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>ENGLEWOOD</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CO</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>80112</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>See Remarks</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2019-03-29</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>P</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>60000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.61</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>60000</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeHolding>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Restricted Stock Units</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                <footnoteId id="F4"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                <footnoteId id="F4"/>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>1153152</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>1153152</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeHolding>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">The price reported is a weighted average price. These shares were purchased in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $0.60 to $0.61, inclusive. The Reporting Person undertakes to provide to the Company, any security holder of the Company, or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares purchased at each separate price within the range stated.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Each restricted stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one common share of the Company.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Time-vested amounts include 204,528 restricted stock units that will vest, if at all, in three equal annual installments beginning on November 9, 2019, and 179,856 restricted stock units that will vest, if at all, in three equal annual installments beginning on March 1, 2020.  Additionally, includes 768,768 restricted stock units that are subject to both performance-based and time-based vesting terms. The performance-based vesting conditions are assessed based on the volume-weighted average price of the Company's common shares as measured over 60 consecutive trading days relative to pre-established price goals.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">(Continued from Footnote 3) Once a performance-based vesting condition is achieved, the restricted stock units that have become performance vested will time-vest over the two or three-year period following the date on which they became performance vested.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks>Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer</remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Rex Griffin, as Attorney in Fact for David W. Honeyfield</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2019-04-01</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
