Fishing at Rainy Lake, Big Horn County, Wyoming

• Overview

  Look for Rainy Lake in Big Horn County, Wyoming. The surface lies 9,396 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 2 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Big Horn County. Buffalo lies 18 miles from the water. Billings sits 127 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Rainy Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Big Horn County records list brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, white sucker and common carp among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read Rainy Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 53°F in July and bottoms out near 16°F in January. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late May. Climate averages put the opening at about late May and the closing near early November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Rainy Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Otter Lake, 0.4 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about Rainy Lake if anything is unclear.