Fishing Rainbow Lake in Park County, Wyoming

• Overview

  Rainbow Lake belongs to Park County, Wyoming. The water sits 9,695 feet up. The water measures roughly 11 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Red Lodge lies 21 miles from the water. After that come Cody at 36 miles and Powell at 39 miles. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water. More than one water carries this name, so make sure of the county.

• Where to Fish on Rainbow Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Open biodiversity records for Park County list brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. The list covers the county rather than this water alone, so treat it as a guide. Fish Rainbow Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August near 49°F and January near 14°F on the long-run figures. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Break-up comes around early June, and the run that follows is short and strong. Open water usually runs from early June until about early November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. Plan any trip to Rainbow Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. You can leave the car about half a mile from the water. A toilet block sits half a mile away. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Fort Lake at 0.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Rainbow Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.