Tensleep Reservoir Fishing Guide, Big Horn County, Wyoming

• Overview

  Within Big Horn County, Wyoming, you have Tensleep Reservoir. Land around it is lake country bush. Surface area runs to roughly 264 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. Shoreline comes to about 2.8 miles, small enough to learn in a day. It is among the larger waters listed here for Big Horn County. Supplies mean a trip to Buffalo, 29 miles off. For a city, Billings is 128 miles off. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Tensleep Reservoir

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. The old creek line under the surface is the feature worth finding. Fish documented in Big Horn County include brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout, white sucker and common carp. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Take Tensleep Reservoir a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 53°F; by January the average is down near 16°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around late May. The lid tends to go about late May and return around early November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. On Tensleep Reservoir the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Boat access is recorded roughly half a mile away. The nearest car park is half a mile from the water. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. There are toilets half a mile off. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. For a change of water, Bear Lake is 3.6 miles distant. For Tensleep Reservoir in particular, ask before you travel.