Willits Reservoir in Sheridan County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Willits Reservoir in the Sheridan County part of Wyoming. The surroundings are rolling bush. This is a pocket water of some 6 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Supplies mean a trip to Sheridan, 22 miles off. Buffalo is 28 miles and Greybull 43 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Willits Reservoir

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Survey and observation records for Sheridan County include rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout and white sucker. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish Willits Reservoir to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 54°F; the cold one sits at 18°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late May. In an average year the thaw lands around late May and the freeze near mid November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Willits Reservoir fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, Last Chance Reservoir at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Willits Reservoir in what we hold.