Poacher Lake in Big Horn County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  In Wyoming, Poacher Lake falls inside Big Horn County. It sits in pine and birch country. It covers about 15 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The closest town, Buffalo, is 31 miles distant. For a city, Billings is 113 miles off. Nearby, in order: Grace Lake just 2 miles, Lake Solitude 3.2 miles away, Lower Paint Rock Lake just 3.4 miles, Upper Paint Rock Lake 3.6 miles away and Summit Lake just 3.7 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Poacher Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Records held for Big Horn County cover brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and white sucker. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. The shape of Poacher Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July is the warm end of the year here, averaging about 51°F, while January sits near 14°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early June. Open water usually runs from early June until about early November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Poacher Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Grace Lake is 2 miles off. The position on Poacher Lake is worth confirming on the day.