Barren Lake in Sublette County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Barren Lake is one of the Sublette County listings for Wyoming. The water sits 10,715 feet up. It measures about 25 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Wyoming listings. 23 miles away sits Fort Washakie, the nearest town. Then Lander, 25 miles, and Ethete, 28 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Barren Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Species logged across Sublette County include brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. The shape of Barren Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 48°F for July and 14°F for January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly mid June. The open-water window runs from around mid June to about late October in an average year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Barren Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. A camping area sits within half a mile of here. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Texas Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat access at Barren Lake as something to verify.