Fishing Elk Lake in Johnson County, Wyoming

• Overview

  Elk Lake belongs to Johnson County, Wyoming. It sits in mixed forest. At about 83 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The full circuit measures close to 1.4 miles on foot. Few waters listed in Johnson County are bigger. For a base, Buffalo sits 18 miles out. Sheridan is 29 miles and Basin 48 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Elk Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Johnson County records list brown trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, white sucker and walleye among the fish reported. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Elk Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 52°F; by January the average is down near 17°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Count the season from break-up, usually early June. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early June and starts locking again about early November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Elk Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Flatiron Lake, 1.2 miles away. For Elk Lake in particular, ask before you travel.