Fishing Lake Mead in Johnson County, Wyoming

• Overview

  Lake Mead lies in Johnson County, Wyoming. It sits in lake country bush. With some 26 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. For a base, Buffalo sits 21 miles out. It is 118 miles to Billings, the nearest city. Water in the same corner: South Piney Lakes within 1.1 miles, 1.2 miles away is Diamond Lake, Sapphire Lake within 1.9 miles, 2 miles away is Flatiron Lake and Glacier Lake within 2.3 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Lake Mead

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Johnson County include brown trout, rainbow trout and brook trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. The shape of Lake Mead rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 48°F and January at 13°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid June. The lid tends to go about mid June and return around late October. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Lake Mead rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. South Piney Lakes sits 1.1 miles off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Lake Mead in what we hold.