Bear Lake Fishing in Big Horn County, Wyoming

• Overview

  Look for Bear Lake in Big Horn County, Wyoming. The ground round it is rolling bush. About 7 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. The nearest place of any size is Buffalo, 28 miles away. Worland is 38 miles away, with Basin at 41 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Bear Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Big Horn County, recorded fish include brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. Fish Bear Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 53°F, the coldest about 16°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late May. The season between ice runs from about late May to early November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Plan around that when you fish Bear Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Should this one be busy, West Tensleep Lake is 3.1 miles off. None of that is settled for Bear Lake in what we hold.