Fishing in Wyoming: Top 10 Destinations, Species & Travel Guide

Fishing in Wyoming is built around cold-water systems. Rivers, alpine lakes, and high-elevation waters dominate the state, creating one of the best trout fisheries in the United States.

What makes Wyoming different is its purity. Most waters are cold, clear, and structured, with trout holding in predictable zones based on current, depth, and temperature.

This is a state where:

success comes from reading water—not searching for it

How Fishing Works in Wyoming (What to Know Before You Go)

Fishing in Wyoming is driven by three key factors: temperature, elevation, and current.

Trout Dominate the State

Primary species:

Cutthroat trout (native)
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
Brook trout

Everything else is secondary.

Three Core Fishing Systems

Rivers (primary)
→ current, seams, structure
Alpine lakes
→ clear water, depth-based
Reservoirs (limited but important)
→ structured multi-species

Runoff Controls Timing

Spring runoff = difficult fishing
Post-runoff = peak conditions
Late summer/fall = stable patterns

Timing matters more than location.

Fishing in Wyoming is built around cold-water systems. Rivers, alpine lakes, and high-elevation waters dominate the state, creating one of the best trout fisheries in the United States.

What makes Wyoming different is its purity. Most waters are cold, clear, and structured, with trout holding in predictable zones based on current, depth, and temperature.

This is a state where:

success comes from reading water—not searching for it

How Fishing Works in Wyoming (What to Know Before You Go)

Fishing in Wyoming is driven by three key factors: temperature, elevation, and current.

Trout Dominate the State

Primary species:

Cutthroat trout (native)
Rainbow trout
Brown trout
Brook trout

Everything else is secondary.

Three Core Fishing Systems

Rivers (primary)
→ current, seams, structure
Alpine lakes
→ clear water, depth-based
Reservoirs (limited but important)
→ structured multi-species

Runoff Controls Timing

Spring runoff = difficult fishing
Post-runoff = peak conditions
Late summer/fall = stable patterns

Timing matters more than location.

Types of Catch Available

Freshwater

Rainbow Trout

Cutthroat Trout

Brown Trout

Brook Trout

Muskie

Largemouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass

Walleye

Bullhead Catfish

Bluegill

Crappie

Yellow Perch

Carp

Whitefish

Grayling

State Fishing Records

GET YOUR WYOMING STATE FISHING LICENSE HERE.

How to Choose Where to Fish in Wyoming

Start with your goal:

Want river trout → Snake, North Platte, Bighorn
Want alpine fishing → Wind River Range
Want classic fly fishing → Jackson Hole, Yellowstone
Want variety → Pinedale region

Wyoming rewards anglers who:

match water type + timing + elevation

Top 10 Fishing Spots Across Wyoming

Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park is one of the most complete trout systems in Wyoming, offering rivers, lakes, and alpine water in one region.

Fish hold in cold, structured water across multiple systems.

What separates the Tetons is its range—you can target different trout environments without leaving the area.

Best for anglers who want multiple trout systems in one location.

Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole is the central access point to some of the best trout waters in Wyoming, including sections of the Snake River system.

Fish hold in seams, structure, and current-driven zones.

What separates Jackson Hole is its access—it connects you to multiple high-quality fisheries quickly.

Best for anglers who want flexibility across multiple trout rivers and systems.

North Platte River

The North Platte River is one of the most consistent trout fisheries in Wyoming, producing strong numbers of rainbow and brown trout.

Fish hold in structured current zones and deeper runs.

What separates the North Platte is its production—it consistently produces high-quality trout fishing across long stretches.

Best for anglers who want reliable river trout fishing with strong numbers.

Pinedale

Pinedale

The Pinedale region provides access to multiple major trout rivers, including the Green River and New Fork.

Fish hold in seams, runs, and structured current zones.

What separates Pinedale is its density—you can fish multiple high-quality rivers within the same region.

Best for anglers who want variety across multiple trout rivers.

Big and Little Laramie

Big and Little Laramie

These rivers are known for producing larger trout in structured current environments.

Fish hold in seams, pools, and slower transition zones.

What separates the Laramie system is its size potential—it consistently produces larger trout than many nearby systems.

Best for anglers who want quality trout with trophy potential in a river system.

Wind River Range

Wind River Range

The Wind River Range is one of the most important alpine fishing systems in Wyoming, with hundreds of high-elevation lakes.

Fish hold in clear, cold water with minimal pressure.

What separates the Wind River Range is its scale—it offers massive alpine fishing opportunities with less pressure.

Best for anglers who want remote trout fishing in alpine environments.

Tongue River

The Tongue River is a structured trout system where fish hold in seams, runs, and deeper pockets.

Fish are concentrated and easier to locate compared to larger rivers.

What separates the Tongue is its efficiency—it produces steady trout fishing without requiring large-scale movement.

Best for anglers who want consistent trout fishing in a manageable river.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park offers one of the most diverse trout fisheries in the United States, with multiple rivers, lakes, and streams.

Fish hold across different systems depending on location.

What separates Yellowstone is its diversity—it offers nearly every type of trout fishing within one region.

Best for anglers who want maximum variety across trout systems.

Snake River

The Snake River is one of the most recognized trout rivers in Wyoming, producing strong cutthroat populations.

Fish hold along seams, structure, and current zones.

What separates the Snake is its consistency—it produces reliable trout fishing across seasons.

Best for anglers who want classic Western river fishing for cutthroat trout.

Bighorn Lake

Bighorn Lake is one of the few major reservoir systems in Wyoming, offering trout, walleye, and multi-species fishing.

Fish hold along structure, drop-offs, and deeper zones.

What separates Bighorn Lake is its contrast—it provides a different fishing style than the state’s river-dominated systems.

Best for anglers who want reservoir fishing with multiple species available.

Wyoming State Fishing Records

Species	Weight	Length	Location	Angler	Date
Arctic Grayling	2 lbs 5.76 oz	19.625"	Meadow Lake	Robert Doak	1983
Black Bullhead	2 lbs 14.4 oz	15.25"	Ten Sleep Pond	Brian Rygwalski	1987
Black Crappie	2 lbs 5.44 oz	15"	Boysen Reservoir	Edward Hausauer	1997
Bluegill Sunfish	1 lbs 7.5 oz	10.3"	Lake View North Pond	Brad Artery	1988
Brook Trout	9 lbs 11 oz	24.5"	Green River Lakes	Max Long	1976
Brown Trout	25 lbs 13 oz	34.25"	Flaming Gorge Reservoir	George Rose	1982
Carp	32 lbs 09 oz	36"	Flaming Gorge Reservoir	Joey Lye	2004
Channel Catfish	27 lbs	38"	Flaming Gorge Reservoir	Don Ackerman	2005
Cutthroat Trout	15 lbs 0 oz	32"	Native Lake	Alan Dow	1959
Flathead Catfish	22 lbs	34"	North Platte River	Dallas Stanton	2004
Freshwater Drum	11 lbs 14 oz	26"	Glendo Reservoir	Rich Detry	1993
Golden Trout	11 lbs 4 oz	28"	Cook Lake	C.S. Reed	1948
Goldeye	1 lbs 5.12 oz	16.75"	Powder River	Jim Williams	1996
Green Sunfish	0 lbs 8.66 oz	8.3"	private pond	Keith M. Reau Jr.	1997
Kokanee Salmon	6 lbs 0 oz	24.75"	Flaming Gorge Reservoir	Paul Ekx	6/14/2009
Lake Trout	50 lbs 0 oz	46"	Jackson Lake	Doris Budge	1983
Lake Trout	50 lbs 0 oz	48"	Flaming Gorge Reservoir	Randy Calkins	1995
Largemouth Bass	7 lbs 14 oz	21.5"	private pond	Dustin Shorma	1992
Ling Cod	19 lbs 4 oz	44"	Pilot Butte Reservoir	K.E. Mooreland	1965
Longnose Sucker	2 lbs 3.04 oz	18.1"	Little Goose Creek	Darrell Meineke	1998
Northern Pike	27 lbs 4 oz	47"	Keyhole Reservoir	Robert K. Hockett	2005
Ohrid Trout	14 lbs 4 oz	30"	North Platte River	Kim Durfee	1986
Rainbow Trout	23 lbs 0 oz	35.5"	Burnt Lake	Frank Favazzo	1969
River Carpsucker	6 lbs 2.4 oz	22"	Boysen Reservoir	Danny Kurttila	1997
Rock Bass	1 lbs 0 oz	12.5"	Sheridan County Pond	Randy Reece	5/12/2007
Sauger	7 lbs 0 oz	26.5"	Boysen Reservoir	Tom Durst	1/7/2007
Shovelnose Sturgeon	7 lbs 9.6 oz	36"	Powder River	Allen Gorzalka	1993
Smallmouth Bass	5 lbs .94 oz	21"	Flaming Gorge Reservoir	Bubba O'Neil	2003
Splake	13 lbs 9.6 oz	29.6"	North Crow Reservoir	Shawn Vanwey	4/1/2011
Tiger Muskellunge	29 lbs 5.92 oz	49"	Grayrocks Reservoir	Frank Rubrecht	1992
Utah Chub	7 lbs 11.68 oz	15"	Flaming Gorge Reservoir	David Franke	6/7/2010
Utah Sucker	5 lbs 12.8 oz	24"	Bear River	Al Richardson	1998
Walleye	17 lbs 6.72 oz	34"	Boysen Reservoir	Stan Seivewright	1991
White Crappie	2 lbs 0 oz	13.5"	Glendo Reservoir	Terry Young	8/31/2009
White Sucker	4 lbs 6.4 oz	21"	Bighorn River	Tom Hunt	4/17/2011
Whitefish	4 lbs 4 oz	21"	Snake River	Dennis Jennings	1977
Yellow Perch	2 lbs 3.2 oz	16"	Mayland Pond	Mike Miller	1991

Brown Trout

Appearance

Brown trout vary greatly in appearance, but are generally olive green to brown on top, shading to a creamy, golden yellow on the sides and an off- white along the belly. Most brown trout are covered with black spots along their sides, back, and dorsal fin with each spot surrounded by a light halo. Frequently, the spots near the lateral line are red. Unlike other trout species, brown trout tails have few if any spots.

Habitat

Brown trout occupy a range of aquatic systems and habitats from Coldwater mountain streams to larger rivers, ponds and lakes.

Diet

Brown trout feed on several animal prey species, aquatic invertebrates being the most abundant prey items. However, brown trout also feed on other prey such as land-based invertebrates (e.g. Hymenoptera) or other fish. Moreover, in brown trout, as in many other fish species, a change in the diet composition normally occurs during the life of the fish, and piscivorous behavior is most frequent in large brown trout.

Fishing for Brown Trout

Fishing for brook trout with a Bubble Fly or Bubble Bait rig is a great way to catch brook trout. The Bubble allows for easy casting or float and release to get to the hard bends and deep pools. Using a spinning reel or fly rod the bubble can help get to the fish. For lake fishing the Bubble works great with a nightcrawler and letting the bubble troll the bait for you using water current or wind.

Top 5 Bubble Fly Combos for Brown Trout

Ant, Cricket, Hopper, Adams Parachute, Wullf Royal

Top 5 Bubble Bait Combos for Brown Trout

Nightcrawler, Wax Worms , Corn, Power Bait, Salmon Eggs

Bubble Fly Challenge Games for Brown Trout

Panfish & Trout