Okeson Reservoir in Sheridan County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Sheridan County, Okeson Reservoir is a Wyoming water. Elevation runs to 3,957 feet. Surface area runs to about 7 acres — small enough to read in one session. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Wyoming listings. Supplies mean a trip to Gillette, 37 miles off. Billings sits 143 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Okeson Reservoir

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Points where the flooded channel swings in are the reliable ones. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Reported across Sheridan County: rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, white sucker and rock bass. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Okeson Reservoir the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 71°F, while January sits near 21°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Look for the thaw near late March; the fishing lifts straight after. On the long-run averages the water opens up around late March and starts locking again about late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. At Okeson Reservoir the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Parking is not close: half a mile from the bank, and no nearer option is mapped. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. The nearest alternative is Horse Creek Reservoir, 14 miles out. Ask locally about Okeson Reservoir if anything is unclear.