Fishing Cascade Lake in Park County, Wyoming

• Overview

  Within Park County, Wyoming, you have Cascade Lake. It lies 7,995 feet above sea level. The water covers some 31 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Some 29 miles away sits West Yellowstone, the nearest settlement. Then Big Sky, 55 miles, and Livingston, 63 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Cascade Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Reported across Park County: brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Cascade Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 52°F and January at 14°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Ice is part of the season here, ending near late May. Climate figures give an open season running late May to early November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. On Cascade Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Grebe Lake, 1.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat access at Cascade Lake as something to verify.