What is the best fishing lake in Wyoming?

Flaming Gorge Reservoir is our first pick, with lake trout, trout and kokanee salmon. Yellowstone Lake and Pathfinder Reservoir are close behind.

How many lakes in Wyoming does LakeScope cover?

41 lakes, each with a page for today's conditions.

Where can I catch walleye in Wyoming?

Try Pathfinder Reservoir, Bighorn Lake and Boysen Reservoir.

Where can I catch bass in Wyoming?

Try Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Seminoe Reservoir and Grayrocks Reservoir.

Where can I catch trout in Wyoming?

Try Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Yellowstone Lake and Pathfinder Reservoir.

Best fishing lakes in Wyoming: 12 lakes and what bites

From Flaming Gorge Reservoir to Lewis Lake, these 12 lakes are the strongest fishing picks in Wyoming on our list of 41, with the fish, the size and where to start on each.

The lakes at a glance

Lake	Size	Main fish
Flaming Gorge Reservoir	42,000 acres	lake trout, trout, kokanee salmon
Yellowstone Lake	87,000 acres	trout, lake trout
Pathfinder Reservoir	22,000 acres	walleye, trout, kokanee salmon
Bighorn Lake	17,300 acres	walleye, trout, yellow perch
Boysen Reservoir	19,600 acres	walleye, yellow perch, crappie
Buffalo Bill Reservoir	8,500 acres	trout, lake trout, walleye
Jackson Lake	25,500 acres	trout
Shoshone Lake	8,050 acres	lake trout, trout
Fontenelle Reservoir	8,000 acres	trout
Glendo Reservoir	12,000 acres	walleye
Seminoe Reservoir	20,300 acres	trout, lake trout, yellow perch
Lewis Lake	about 2,860 acres	trout, lake trout

1. Flaming Gorge Reservoir

At some 42,000 acres, Flaming Gorge Reservoir is a big lake. The fish here are lake trout, trout, kokanee salmon and smallmouth bass. The deepest water is around 436 ft. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and an upper arm worth a first look.

Flaming Gorge Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

2. Yellowstone Lake

Yellowstone Lake covers 87,000 acres of water. The lake is near West Yellowstone. The fish here are trout and lake trout. It goes down to about 394 ft. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work.

Yellowstone Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

3. Pathfinder Reservoir

Pathfinder Reservoir spreads over 22,000 acres of water. You will find it near Rawlins. It is the North Platte River behind Pathfinder Dam. The fish here are walleye, trout, kokanee salmon and yellow perch. The deepest water is around 192 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start. Pathfinder Reservoir on the North Platte River holds the only established U.S. population of the Ohrid trout, a species native to the Balkans.

Pathfinder Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

4. Bighorn Lake

At 17,300 acres, Bighorn Lake is a big lake. You will find it about 58 miles north of Billings. The fish here are walleye, trout, yellow perch and catfish. At about 450 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and a sheltered cove to work. Bighorn Lake straddles the Wyoming-Montana border within Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, impounded by Yellowtail Dam.

Bighorn Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

5. Boysen Reservoir

Boysen Reservoir covers 19,600 acres. The lake is near Riverton. It is the Wind River behind Boysen Dam. Walleye, yellow perch, crappie and catfish are the draw.

Boysen Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

6. Buffalo Bill Reservoir

Buffalo Bill Reservoir covers some 8,500 acres. It lies near Cody. Trout, lake trout, walleye and yellow perch are the draw. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and an upper arm worth a first look. Buffalo Bill Dam, completed in 1910, was the tallest dam in the world at the time.

Buffalo Bill Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

7. Jackson Lake

At 25,500 acres, Jackson Lake is a big lake. You will find it about 69 miles southwest of Idaho Falls. It is the Snake River behind Jackson Lake Dam. Expect trout. It goes down to about 438 ft. Its bed shows three point drop-offs and an upper arm worth a first look. Jackson Lake is a natural glacial lake in Grand Teton National Park that was enlarged by Jackson Lake Dam.

Jackson Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

8. Shoshone Lake

At 8,050 acres of water, Shoshone Lake is a good-sized lake. The lake is about 26 miles northwest of West Yellowstone. Lake trout and trout are the draw. At about 205 ft deep, it stays cooler below the surface well into summer. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and an upper arm to work. Shoshone Lake is the largest backcountry lake in the lower 48 states that cannot be reached by road.

Shoshone Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

9. Fontenelle Reservoir

Fontenelle Reservoir is a reservoir of some 8,000 acres. You will find it about 27 miles southwest of Kemmerer. Fontenelle Dam holds it on the Green River. Expect trout. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves to work.

Fontenelle Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

10. Glendo Reservoir

Glendo Reservoir is a reservoir of 12,000 acres of water. The lake is about 67 miles west of Casper. It is the North Platte River behind Glendo Dam. The fish here are walleye. The lake bed gives you three point drop-offs and an upper arm to work. Glendo Reservoir is considered one of the best walleye fisheries in Wyoming.

Glendo Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

11. Seminoe Reservoir

At some 20,300 acres, Seminoe Reservoir is a big lake. It lies near Rawlins. It is the North Platte River behind Seminoe Dam. The usual Wyoming mix applies: trout, lake trout, yellow perch and smallmouth bass. It goes down to about 206 ft. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and two sheltered coves: good places to start. Seminoe Reservoir on the North Platte River is stocked with fish by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Seminoe Reservoir today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

12. Lewis Lake

Lewis Lake spreads over about 2,860 acres. The lake is about 33 miles northwest of West Yellowstone. It holds trout and lake trout. On the 3-D map the bed has three point drop-offs and an upper arm: good places to start. Lewis Lake, in southern Yellowstone National Park, holds brown, brook and lake trout.

Lewis Lake today: water temperature, bite times and the 3-D lake bed

Which lake for which fish

A lake appears under a fish when it holds it, by the record or by the type of lake.

Bass: Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Seminoe Reservoir, Grayrocks Reservoir and Keyhole Reservoir
Walleye: Pathfinder Reservoir, Bighorn Lake, Boysen Reservoir and Buffalo Bill Reservoir
Trout: Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Yellowstone Lake, Pathfinder Reservoir and Bighorn Lake
Crappie: Bighorn Lake, Boysen Reservoir, Grayrocks Reservoir and Keyhole Reservoir
Catfish: Bighorn Lake, Boysen Reservoir, Grayrocks Reservoir and Keyhole Reservoir

Season by season

Spring: walleye are usually at their best. Prime range. Low light is best, on reefs and weed edges.
Summer: walleye are usually fair. Warm surface. They go deep in the day; try evenings.
Fall: walleye are usually at their best. Prime range. Low light is best, on reefs and weed edges.
Winter: walleye are usually at their best. Good cool-water bite, best at dusk and after dark.

Before you go

A Wyoming fishing licence covers every lake here; the state fish and wildlife agency publishes the limits and any special rules lake by lake. Each lake page on LakeScope shows today's water temperature, the wind, the best bite times and a 3-D view of the bed, so check it the morning you go.