Fishing at Keyhole Reservoir, Crook County, Wyoming

• Overview

  Keyhole Reservoir is one of the Crook County listings for Wyoming. Beyond the shoreline you have mixed forest. Around 13.8 sq miles of open water: conditions change from one end to the other. You have roughly 34 miles of edge to choose from, which rewards a scouting trip. Of the waters listed here in Crook County, this is the largest. Moorcroft lies 8.1 miles from the water. Further out sit Upton (21 miles) and Sundance (24 miles). It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Keyhole Reservoir

  Our records give 83 ft, so you have a figure to work from. Standing timber shows when the level drops, and fish sit against it. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Fish documented in Crook County include brown trout, common carp, white sucker and brook trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Keyhole Reservoir repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 17°F in January up to 70°F in July. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early April. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Plan any trip to Keyhole Reservoir around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  It is marked public, so anyone may fish it. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Cherry Reservoir, 13 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Where Keyhole Reservoir is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.