Trapper Lake Fishing in Sublette County, Wyoming

• Overview

  Out in Sublette County, Wyoming, sits Trapper Lake. The water sits 9,708 feet up. It runs to roughly 57 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. A shoreline of some 1.4 miles keeps the choices simple. Some 15 miles away sits Pinedale, the nearest settlement. Marbleton is 40 miles away, with Fort Washakie at 46 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Trapper Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Sublette County, recorded fish include brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and lake trout. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. Read Trapper Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 54°F, with January the cold end at about 16°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid May. Break-up near mid May, freeze-up near mid November: that is the shape of an average year. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Trapper Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Failing this one, try Little Trapper Lake, 0.7 miles away. Nothing here settles the position at Trapper Lake for certain.