Island Lake, Wyoming: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Island Lake is set in Park County, Wyoming. Height above sea level is 9,528 feet. With some 153 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. Shoreline comes to about 2.2 miles, small enough to learn in a day. It ranks high for size among our Park County listings. The closest town, Red Lodge, is 22 miles distant. It is 76 miles to Billings, the nearest city. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Island Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Park County records list brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and cutthroat trout among the fish reported. It is the county picture; the agency list is water-specific. At Island Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 49°F and January at 14°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early June. Climate figures give an open season running early June to early November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Island Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. A slipway is marked about half a mile from here. There is a campsite half a mile from the water. There is a toilet block some half a mile out. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Night Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm access to Island Lake locally before you travel.