Fishing South Fork Lake in Sublette County, Wyoming

• Overview

  In Wyoming, South Fork Lake falls inside Sublette County. The country here is rolling bush. At 24 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Supplies mean a trip to Pinedale, 23 miles off. For a city, Salt Lake City is 193 miles off. Water in the same corner: Raid Lake at 0.7 miles, Dream Lake lies 1.1 miles on, Upper Sylvan Lake at 1.2 miles, Crescent Lake lies 1.3 miles on and Cross Lake at 1.6 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on South Fork Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Sublette County records list brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and lake trout among the fish reported. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. South Fork Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 49°F and January near 12°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Look for the thaw near mid June; the fishing lifts straight after. In an average year the thaw lands around mid June and the freeze near early November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. On South Fork Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. For a change of water, Raid Lake is 0.7 miles distant. Check the position on South Fork Lake before loading the car.