Valley Lake Fishing near Pinedale, Wyoming

• Overview

  You will find Valley Lake in Sublette County, Wyoming. The ground round it is lake country bush. At about 41 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. The edge runs 1.2 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. The nearest town is Pinedale, 20 miles away. Fort Washakie lies 31 miles off, Ethete another 36 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Valley Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Fish documented in Sublette County include brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and lake trout. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Valley Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 48°F and January at 13°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid June. Break-up sits around mid June on average, with the water closing again about late October. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Valley Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Lake Prue at 0.5 miles is the nearest alternative. The position on Valley Lake is worth confirming on the day.