East Tensleep Lake, Wyoming: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  East Tensleep Lake is listed under Big Horn County, Wyoming. The bank is 9,747 feet above sea level. With some 57 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. About 1.4 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. It is among the larger waters listed here for Big Horn County. Buffalo sits 25 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Then Sheridan, 41 miles, and Worland, 42 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on East Tensleep Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. County-wide records name brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. At East Tensleep Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 16°F and July at about 53°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late May. The water is typically free of ice between late May and early November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Expect East Tensleep Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Should this one be busy, Lake McLain is 1.3 miles off. Confirm before you fish East Tensleep Lake.