Crystal Lake in Fremont County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Crystal Lake in Fremont County, Wyoming. Elevation runs to 10,646 feet. The water covers some 41 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Compared with other Wyoming water on our list, it sits high. Start from Pinedale, 36 miles down the road. Billings sits 176 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Crystal Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fremont County records list brown trout, rainbow trout, white sucker and brook trout among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Crystal Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 17°F and July at about 49°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early June. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early June until roughly early November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Plan any trip to Crystal Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Upper Ross Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position at Crystal Lake before loading the car.