Beaver Lake Fishing near West Yellowstone, Wyoming

• Overview

  Park County, Wyoming, is where Beaver Lake sits. Country round the bank runs to rolling bush. About 19 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Nearest town is West Yellowstone, 21 miles off. Big Sky follows at 45 miles, then Livingston at 59 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Beaver Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Open biodiversity records for Park County list brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and cutthroat trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Beaver Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 55°F, with January the cold end at about 13°F. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid May. Ice clears near mid May and comes back about mid November in a typical year. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Plan around that when you fish Beaver Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Parking is close: a car park sits half a mile from the bank. A rest area sits about half a mile from the water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. The nearest alternative is Lake of the Woods, 1.4 miles out. Treat access at Beaver Lake as something to verify.