Fishing Cook Lake in Crook County, Wyoming

• Overview

  Within Crook County, Wyoming, you have Cook Lake. The bank gives way to lake country bush. Roughly 28 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. A shoreline of some 1.1 miles keeps the choices simple. Ground here is low by Wyoming standards. Sundance is the closest place, 13 miles off. North Spearfish is 26 miles and Belle Fourche 28 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Cook Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Across Crook County, recorded fish include brown trout, common carp, white sucker, brook trout and walleye. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Read Cook Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 67°F and January near 22°F on the long-run figures. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early April. The lid tends to go about early April and return around early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Cook Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is a launch about 120 yards from the bank. A camping area sits within half a mile of here. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Hemler Reservoir at 5 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Cook Lake for certain.