Cow Lake in Teton County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Teton County, Wyoming. The surface lies 6,827 feet up. It covers about 16 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Supplies mean a trip to Moose Wilson Road, 25 miles off. Jackson follows at 26 miles, then Wilson at 28 miles. Near neighbours include: Christian Pond at 3.3 miles, Emma Matilda Lake about 4.2 miles, Elk Ranch Reservoir at 4.8 miles, Heron Pond about 5.3 miles and Cygnet Pond at 5.6 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Cow Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Species logged across Teton County include mountain whitefish, lake trout and Utah sucker. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Fish Cow Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 59°F; by January the average is down near 13°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. At Cow Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Christian Pond at 3.3 miles is the sensible second choice. What applies at Cow Lake may have changed since it was mapped.