Fishing at Tanager Lake, Teton County, Wyoming

• Overview

  Teton County, Wyoming, is where Tanager Lake sits. The surface lies 6,988 feet up. Small at around 24 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Supplies mean a trip to Driggs, 35 miles off. Billings is the closest city, 156 miles away. Close by you also have: Forest Lake just 3 miles, South Boundary Lake out at 3.5 miles, Hering Lake just 3.9 miles, Beula Lake out at 4.4 miles and Grassy Lake just 6.7 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Tanager Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Teton County: mountain whitefish, lake trout and Utah sucker. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Tanager Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 57°F and December at 13°F. The year splits cleanly: hard water, then open water. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly mid November. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Time your trip to Tanager Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Forest Lake sits 3 miles off and takes the overflow. Where Tanager Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.