Shoe Lake near Fort Washakie: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Shoe Lake sits in Fremont County, out in Wyoming. It sits in pine and birch. Roughly 25 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. Fort Washakie lies 14 miles from the water. For a city, Billings is 201 miles off. Within easy reach: 0.3 miles out stands Little Moccasin Lake, Long Lake after 0.6 miles, 0.7 miles out stands Marys Lake, Squaw Lake after 1.9 miles and 2 miles out stands Pie Lake. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Shoe Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Fremont County include brown trout, rainbow trout, white sucker, brook trout and common carp. The county list is broader than any single water. Take Shoe Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 51°F, with February the cold end at about 17°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Once it clears, about early June, the fishing comes on quickly. From about early June to around early November, expect open water on the long-run figures. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. Shoe Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. The nearest alternative is Little Moccasin Lake, 0.3 miles out. Where Shoe Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.