Lake Isabella near Pinedale: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Set in Sublette County, Lake Isabella is a Wyoming water. The surface lies 9,751 feet up. At about 48 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Shoreline comes to about 2.3 miles, small enough to learn in a day. The closest town, Pinedale, is 19 miles distant. Then Fort Washakie, 31 miles, and Ethete, 37 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lake Isabella

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Sublette County records list brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and lake trout among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Lake Isabella light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 51°F for July and 14°F for January. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early June. Ice usually gives way near early June, and forms again about early November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Lake Isabella.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. If the gate is shut, Lake Vera at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. Treat Lake Isabella as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.