Deep Lake in Carbon County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Deep Lake is a Carbon County water, Wyoming side. The setting is lake country bush on every side. It measures about 26 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. Compared with other Wyoming water on our list, it sits high. Nearest place of any size is Saratoga, 27 miles away. The big place round here is Fort Collins, 85 miles distant. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Deep Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Records held for Carbon County cover brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout, white sucker and walleye. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Deep Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 50°F for July and 17°F for January. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early June. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early June and starts locking again about early November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. On Deep Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. If the gate is shut, Mutt Lake at 0.5 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position on Deep Lake before loading the car.