Fishing at Snake Lake, Sublette County, Wyoming

• Overview

  Snake Lake falls in Sublette County, part of Wyoming. It sits in mixed forest country. Surface area runs to about 15 acres — small enough to read in one session. The nearest place of any size is Pinedale, 13 miles away. Marbleton is 37 miles away, with Fort Washakie at 48 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Snake Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Sublette County records list brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and lake trout among the fish reported. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The near bank of Snake Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 54°F, the coldest about 16°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Break-up comes around mid May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid May until roughly mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Snake Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Lily Pond Lake, 1.5 miles out. Check the current arrangement for Snake Lake.