Lake Viva Naughton, Wyoming: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Lake Viva Naughton is one of the Lincoln County listings for Wyoming. This is dry open country ground. At 1,390 acres this is proper open water rather than a pond. The edge covers about 7.9 miles, enough to hold several distinct areas. It ranks high for size among our Lincoln County listings. Head to Kemmerer, 15 miles away, for anything you forgot. The big place round here is Salt Lake City, 106 miles distant. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Lake Viva Naughton

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. County-wide records name cutthroat trout, brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and mountain whitefish. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Lake Viva Naughton gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 15°F in January to roughly 60°F in July. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late April. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Anyone fishing Lake Viva Naughton regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. 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 a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. If the gate is shut, Kemmerer Reservoir at 3 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Lake Viva Naughton is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.