Upland Natural Lake · Mixed · Wyoming, US

Shoshone Lake

Shoshone Lake venue image

Shoshone Lake is the largest backcountry lake in the lower 48 with no road to it — you reach it by paddling up the Lewis River Channel or hiking in, which keeps the crowds honest and the experience genuinely wild.

Fair · Trout
Balanced Leech · 8-12
A respectable few hours, if you choose your moments
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
49% confidence
limited data

Shoshone Lake is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindSW 11 km/hLight breeze
Today's fly
Balanced Leech
Balanced Leech8-12
Proven pattern for this period
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Light breeze
SW 11 km/h
N
SW
from the south-west
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp8.8°C
Air temp8°C
CloudOvercast
Pressure1019 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

How to fish it · for Trout
When
Autumn for the channel brown run; summer for the open water
Where
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.

Boat — drift

A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 2 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Flying AntsHatch
1
2
1
Gray DrakeHatch
1
1
CallibaetisHatch
1
2
2
2
1

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Trout fly box
CH
Chironomid
12-16 · Pattern
Proven pattern for this period
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Yellowstone NP licence and special regulations
  • Backcountry access only (paddle or hike)
  • Handle spawning fish minimally — check NPS rules.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
73%
Cloud50%
Wind100%
Temp60%

A good match for Shoshone Lake — most conditions are close to what it fishes best in.

Fishing better nearby · 5
Firehole River
18 km
75
Brown trout · Rainbow trout
Gibbon River
39 km
73
Brown trout · Rainbow trout · Brook trout
Lewis Lake
9.0 km
Brown trout
Lewis River
10 km
Brown trout · Brook trout
Yellowstone Lake
30 km
Cutthroat trout
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Shoshone Lake is the largest backcountry lake in the lower 48 with no road to it — you reach it by paddling up the Lewis River Channel or hiking in, which keeps the crowds honest and the experience genuinely wild. It holds brown trout and lake trout in big, cold, lonely water. The famous event is the fall, when the browns stack into the channel between Shoshone and Lewis to spawn and a patient angler with a streamer can have the kind of day they'll never quite shut up about. Earn it on foot or by paddle, and treat the spawning fish gently.

  • Lake
  • Mixed
Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
Directions
Apple MapsGoogle Maps
Seasons & zones
  • Trout Saturday of Memorial Day weekend → First Sunday in November
Related guides
Thermal Layers & Troutreading depth and temperatureEuro Nymphingsubsurface methods
Booking & contacts