Starting to plan a summer getaway for my son and i and wondering if anyone has any info or knowledge on trout fishing in the Big Horns? Ive deer and elk hunted out there a couple times and just love the area. Seems there are plenty of creeks and streams and even lakes to try but as usual any help is always an appreciated starting point! Thanks a bunch. Luke
Fishing the Big Horns
- Thread starter mustang8
- Start date
dan maule
Veteran member
My son and I took a trip to the Bighorns last August. We camped in one of the national forest campgrounds and fished several streams and lakes. There are trout in all of them you will have a blast. My son said it was the best trip that we have taken out there. We mainly camped and fished west of Buffalo.
Yeah that is the exact area i was planning to go as well! From there and then north of there and west of Big Horn. Not going to bring fly fishing gear, leaning towards ultra lights and small spinners.
dan maule
Veteran member
We just used spinners also, they served us well except for the Grayling in Willow Lake. We could not get them to hit a spinner.
RICMIC
Veteran member
I was in several WY lakes last fall, and caught cut-throat in the Wind Rivers, rainbows and Kokanee salmon in rivers, brookies and a brown in Soda Lake, and I finally tried for Grayling in Willow Lake. The water was very low, and mucky on the receded shoreline, and those fishing from shore had a hard time catching grayling. I had brought a solo royalex canoe that I was able to drag through the mud, and I absolutely slammed the grayling using a Mepps #0 spinner. I had lost most of my small spinners while river fishing, and had stocked up in Pinedale on #0 and #1. The one that I used for all the grayling was red and white (like a tiny Daredevil), so I never even switch out to try the other ones.
dan maule
Veteran member
That's really cool! We were fishing from shore and tried several different kinds of spinners with no luck, but we did not have any red and white ones. A couple guys caught them with fly rods. We didn't get to fish very long there as a pretty severe thunderstorm was rolling in. I plan on trying it again in a couple years. Thanks for the tip with the red and white Mepps!
RICMIC
Veteran member
Dan; Maybe I was just lucky with the first one that I tried, and it's possible that other colors and sizes would work also. I think that a big part was that I was able to access the whole lake, and caught all of my grayling a good ways from shore. That one spinner put 27 grayling in the boat in 4 hours of fishing over two days. I only kept one for dinner and disproved others who had told me that they weren't good eating.
Thanks for the tip on the red and white color scheme! Going to be making a couple trips to fleet farm prior to the trip to ensure we have a small stockpile of different options. Hoping for good weather and safe travels as well as hoping for the fish to cooperate. Getting excited
buckbull
Veteran member
- Jun 20, 2011
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Well we are back! Going to need some time to dry everything out however. It rained off and on everyday, mother nature even graced us with a few inches of snow, some sleet and even hail as well. We did catch fish, however most of the streams were pretty much white water rafting worthy. We had a good time even though. Did a ton of hiking and exploring and learned a few things along the way as well. We were told that Wyoming normally gets 15" of rain per year and that they exceeded that just in the month of June so far. I did not fact check that but it doesnt seem that crazy considering how wet everything was. Ill be back out there again! Good times!
buckbull
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- Jun 20, 2011
- 2,161
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You had to go to wyoming to get away from the smoke in wisconsin!! Glad you had a great trip.
Very true! No smoke out there! Kind of funny actually, dryer than a popcorn fart in Wisconsin and Wyoming can barely keep its head above water they've had so much dang rain.....