Cutthoat Lake, Wyoming: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  This water sits in Albany County, Wyoming. The bank is 10,696 feet above sea level. About 6 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. It sits higher than most water we list in Wyoming. The nearest place of any size is Saratoga, 27 miles away. Fort Collins sits 84 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Cutthoat Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Albany County include brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, longnose sucker and white sucker. The county list is broader than any single water. At Cutthoat Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 50°F on average, January about 17°F. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Count the season from break-up, usually early June. Ice clears near early June and comes back about early November in a typical year. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. That is the shape of the year on Cutthoat Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Black Spotted Lake, 0.2 miles out. Check the position on Cutthoat Lake before loading the car.