Willow Lake in Big Horn County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Willow Lake is a Big Horn County water, in Wyoming. It sits in lake country bush. The water measures roughly 10 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. For a base, Buffalo sits 18 miles out. For a city, Billings is 126 miles off. In the same area: Martin Lake some 0.3 miles off, Romeo Lake just 0.5 miles, Rainy Lake some 0.9 miles off, Ringbone Lake just 1.1 miles and Otter Lake some 1.2 miles off. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Willow Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for Big Horn County names brook trout, rainbow trout and brown trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Fish Willow Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 53°F and January at 16°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The lid usually goes in late May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Averages place the thaw at late May and the freeze at early November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Time your trip to Willow Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, Martin Lake at 0.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Willow Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.