Sheepherder Lake in Park County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Park County, Wyoming. Elevation runs to 9,898 feet. About 24 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Supplies mean a trip to Red Lodge, 20 miles off. Then Cody, 38 miles, and Absarokee, 38 miles. Also on the doorstep: 0.5 miles away is Snyder Lake, Frozen Lake just 1.4 miles, 1.5 miles away is Heart Lake, Long Lake just 1.7 miles and 1.7 miles away is Night Lake. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Sheepherder Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Public occurrence data for Park County names brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and cutthroat trout. 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

  Long-run averages give August about 49°F and January about 14°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around early June. Climate figures give an open season running early June to early November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Sheepherder Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Snyder Lake, 0.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm before you fish Sheepherder Lake.