Fishing Sheepherder Lake in Big Horn County, Wyoming

• Overview

  Sheepherder Lake is one of the Big Horn County waters in Wyoming. The surface lies 10,066 feet up. Surface area runs to about 8 acres — small enough to read in one session. Buffalo sits 27 miles from here and is the nearest stop. It is 112 miles to Billings, the nearest city. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Sheepherder Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Open biodiversity records for Big Horn County list brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, white sucker and common carp. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. The near bank of Sheepherder Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 49°F and January near 13°F on the long-run figures. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid June. In an average year the thaw lands around mid June and the freeze near late October. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It sets the rhythm of the year at Sheepherder Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. Part of this sits inside or beside Cloud Peak Wilderness, so read the notices. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Cliff Lake at 0.4 miles is the sensible second choice. Treat access at Sheepherder Lake as something to verify.