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.
A patient day, if you fancy it
Good wave on — drift country. Take your time — read the water before you cast.
39% confidence — limited data
Live now
Conditions on the water
Trends shown where the gauge supports them
Wind
SW 18 km/h
Gentle breeze
Wave
40 cm chop
Water temp
—
No reading
Air temp
15°C
Cloud
Overcast
Pressure
1015 hPa
Rain · 24h
0.0 mm
No rain
Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.
How to fish · for brown trout
The brief
When · where · method · kit
How to fish it · for brown 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.
Today's tactical plan
The plan
Plan A · Plan B · what to watch · bank or boat
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
Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.
Boat — drift
A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.
Hatches & runs
What's on, when
Twelve months at a glance
Through the year
0–3 scale · June 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
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Murrough (Great Red Sedge)Hatch
1
2
1
Lake OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.
Today's fly · curated pack
Top pattern + the box
5 patterns from this venue's curated pack
Evidence
Why today scores what it does
The factors driving today's verdict
Why this score
- summer conditions with overcast skies and breezy wind.
About this water · Lough note · 4 min read
Shoshone Lake · profile
Who this water suits
Strengths · watch-outs · best for
About this water
Shoshone Lake, on the water
Field guide · contributor-editedShoshone Lake · about
What this water is
Background · character · contributors
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
Shoshone Lake · directions
How to get to the water
Directions
Shoshone Lake · zones
Where the rules change
Seasons · zones · per-species rules
Seasons & zones
- TroutSaturday of Memorial Day weekend → First Sunday in November
Shoshone Lake · permits
Good to know
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.
Shoshone Lake
Google Places
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.
Species
A patient day, if you fancy it
Good wave on — drift country. Take your time — read the water before you cast.
39% confidence — limited data
Conditions
Wind
SW 18 km/h
Gentle breeze
Wave
40 cm chop
Water temp
—
No reading
Air temp
15°C
Cloud
Overcast
Pressure
1015 hPa
Rain · 24h
0.0 mm
No rain
Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.
Condition match
65%
Cloud70%
Wind65%
Temp60%
A reasonable day here, though temperature isn't quite in the sweet spot.
How to fish it · for brown 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
Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.
Boat — drift
A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.
Why this score
- summer conditions with overcast skies and breezy wind.
Through the year
0–3 scale · June 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
Daddy Long LegsHatch
2
3
2
Murrough (Great Red Sedge)Hatch
1
2
1
Lake OliveHatch
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.
Gallery · 1
Terrain map
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.
Directions
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
Seasons & zones
- TroutSaturday of Memorial Day weekend → First Sunday in November
About this water · Lough note · 4 min read
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.
Fishing better nearby · 5