Shelf Lakes in Albany County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Shelf Lakes in Albany County, Wyoming. The surface lies 11,001 feet up. At roughly 9 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. It sits higher than most water we list in Wyoming. The town to know is Saratoga, 27 miles out. Fort Collins is the closest city, 83 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Shelf Lakes

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Records held for Albany County cover brown trout, brook trout, rainbow trout and longnose sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Shelf Lakes the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 17°F and July at about 50°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early June. From about early June to around early November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. That is the shape of the year on Shelf Lakes.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A phone call first saves an afternoon. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, North Gap Lake at 0.3 miles is the nearest alternative. What applies at Shelf Lakes may have changed since it was mapped.