Fishing Gorge Lake in Sublette County, Wyoming

• Overview

  This water sits in Sublette County, Wyoming. It sits in lake country bush country. The water covers some 66 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The edge runs 1.5 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Size puts it in the front rank of our Sublette County list. Pinedale sits 16 miles from the bank. The nearest city of size is Salt Lake City, 194 miles away. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Gorge Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Sublette County include brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and lake trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Gorge Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 14°F to 51°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near late May. The open-water window runs from around late May to about early November in an average year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. On Gorge Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. 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. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Failing this one, try Suicide Lake, 0.8 miles away. For Gorge Lake in particular, ask before you travel.