Barber Lake Fishing Guide, Albany County, Wyoming

• Overview

  Within Albany County, Wyoming, you have Barber Lake. The setting is pine and birch on every side. Small enough that any disturbance crosses the whole surface. On size it sits at the modest end of our Albany County list. Laramie is the closest town at 30 miles. Beyond it, Saratoga at 34 miles and Rawlins at 64 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Barber Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, longnose sucker and white sucker. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Barber Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 53°F and January near 21°F on the long-run figures. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid May. From about mid May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. That shapes the year on Barber Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Mapping shows parking within 70 yards. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Hanging Lake is 1.5 miles distant. Where Barber Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.