Valentine Lake in Sublette County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Set in Sublette County, Valentine Lake is a Wyoming water. Height above sea level is 10,410 feet. Roughly 44 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Wyoming listings. The closest town, Fort Washakie, is 20 miles distant. Lander is 24 miles away, with Ethete at 25 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Valentine Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Sublette County records list brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Valentine Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 50°F and January reads 15°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early June. The lid tends to go about early June and return around early November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Valentine Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. 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. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Little Valentine Lake sits 0.7 miles off and takes the overflow. Ask locally about Valentine Lake if anything is unclear.