Horseshoe Lake, Wyoming: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Horseshoe Lake stands in Big Horn County, Wyoming. Elevation runs to 10,059 feet. Surface area runs to about 13 acres — small enough to read in one session. For supplies, Sheridan is 30 miles out. Buffalo follows at 31 miles, then Basin at 36 miles. Other water within reach: Emerald Lake (1.3 miles), Lake Golden near enough 2.3 miles, Granite Lake (3 miles), Shell Lake near enough 3 miles and Robin Lake (3 miles). The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Horseshoe Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Big Horn County records list brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and white sucker among the fish reported. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Read Horseshoe Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 50°F and January near 12°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid June. The season between ice runs from about mid June to late October. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Horseshoe Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Emerald Lake, 1.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Horseshoe Lake in what we hold.