Laramie, WY Area Lakes

[mcnerney]

Here is a map published by the Wyoming Game and Fish detailing the sage brush lakes surrounding Laramie, WY and the types of fish contained in each lake.
These lakes are highly productive, so if you enjoy stillwater fishing and you're in the area make a point to hit a couple, your time will be well spent.

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/WGFD/media/content/PDF/Laramie-lakes_NEW.pdf

 

[Nix]

That's a great area. I've had some nice late Fall/early Winter Fishing down there. And there is good access to the Laramie River which holds a few trouts. I've educated several of them myself.

Once you get chilled, head back to Laramie and grab a cup of coffee and a snack at the Coal Creek Coffee on Grand Street--might be the best coffee in the Western US. Worth the trip itself.

edit: it can get a little breezy in Wyoming. I preferred using a 6wt to deal with breezy days, but I'm not great caster.

 

[mcnerney]

That's a great area. I've had some nice late Fall/early Winter Fishing down there. And there is good access to the Laramie River which holds a few trouts. I've educated several of them myself.

Once you get chilled, head back to Laramie and grab a cup of coffee and a snack at the Coal Creek Coffee on Grand Street--might be the best coffee in the Western US. Worth the trip itself.

edit: it can get a little breezy in Wyoming. I preferred using a 6wt to deal with breezy days, but I'm not great caster.

Great advice! I forgot to mention the WIND, a 6 wt comes in mighty handy as those lakes have no barriers to block the wind, hence the name Sage Brush Lakes.
Also, If you're not familiar with those lakes, I would highly recommend stopping in at Four Seasons Anglers in Laramie and getting some advice and buying a few flies, it will be well worth your effort.
Four Seasons Anglers | Guided Fly Fishing in Wyoming

 

[smoke33]

I lived in Laramie for 6 months over 20 years ago. We fished Sodergreen quite a bit. I wasn’t into fly fishing at the time. Boy, to be able to go back in time.


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[sparsegraystubble]

Unfortunately all of those lakes have been overrun by snapping turtles, eels and Portuguese Man Of War jellyfish. Few trout left.

Okay, seriously now, the lakes here are no secret and are a year-round resource. Winter kill is always a concern because they are relatively shallow, but aerators and milder winters have allowed some good holdover in recent years.

Most of the time I use floating or intermediate lines when wading or tubing. Really important to check with the fly shops to find out which lakes are productive. And be prepared to be shut down by wind especially in the afternoons. Early microbrews on those days.

Don

 

[sparsegraystubble]

What this map doesn’t show is that if you keep on driving west on Hwy. 130 you go through miles of the Snowy Range mountains with a huge number of alpine lakes, some right beside the road others require a hike. Almost all of them have trout though some of the fish run small.

But the Snowy Range lives up to its name and Hwy 130 is closed from mid-October (most years) until Memorial Day weekend. Most of the lakes are ice covered until then anyway.

The Sage Brush or Plains Lakes are closer to town and the roads are open year around, but they are still at 7200 feet.

Don

 

[Nix]

I really enjoy the Snowies, a beautiful area.

I've done some hiking and camping there. It's a popular area for hunting, and I recommend wearing a little blaze orange in the Fall, at least a hat.

130 makes for a great motorcycle ride, too......

(Thought I had a fish picture from the Snowies, but that appears to have slipped away, and all I could find was this lousy shot of a motorcycle.)

 

[sparsegraystubble]

Where the motorcycle is sitting is less than 40 miles from Laramie and is right around 9,000 feet +/-.

Several decent lakes within a mile or less from that spot.

Don

 

[Joey Bagels]

I learned to fish for trout on those lakes. Learned to catch fish on flies. Had my first float tubing experience. And now I get back as often as my schedule allows (not enough). There’s been ups and downs since I first made a cast in the summer of 1984, but overall, I can always count on catching some fish, enjoying the spectacular scenery, and learning a few things I never knew before every time I visit. And of course, a visit to the Laramie Plains Lakes or Snowies isn’t complete without a stop here to check reports, get some provisions, and pick up some flies or other doodads.

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[ALSYS inventor]

Hi everyone,

My name is Juan Carlos and I from to Spain. I fished around my country and I would like fishing on USA. I think it will be incredible.

In the following pincture you can watch my favorite river, Tormes river. There are great and wild trouts.





I wonder how the trouts are in USA. Can you share any photo of brown trout?

 

[Joey Bagels]

Dude. Go spam some other board.


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[Grizz900]

Best coffee in the mid west-western I’ll drink to that. I fished pyramid lake in NV for 2 yrs where we fly fish from ladders. Wade out set your ladder where u want while the cutthroat crises the shorelines. Does Wyoming have any lakes like that?

 

[sparsegraystubble]

Wyoming has a vast variety of lakes and reservoirs. The big ones are mostly dammed up rivers that tend to hold more walleye than trout. But there are many others such as the Laramie Plains Lakes featured in the map. I can be fishing in any of those about 30 minutes from my house in Laramie. They may be the closest quality lakes to you in Pine Bluffs.

Most of our lakes (whether Alpine, foothills or prairie) are relatively shallow and can be easily fished by wading or tubing. No real need or use for ladders here. You can get plenty of action using just a floating line, but the wind sometimes make it advisable to use a slow sinking line just to get your rig under the waves and choppy water.

There are also a lot of private ranch lakes that the owners have stocked with trout of some size. Access to those depends on knowing some ranchers and getting an invitation. But there are tons of public lakes as well with plenty of access.

And, as I mention earlier in this thread, there are many lakes in the Snowy Mountain Range that starts about 30 miles west of Laramie. Some you can drive to, others require a bit of a walk or even a pack-in hike.

You really ought to get a copy of Ken Retallic’s Wyoming Fly Fishing Guide and a state book of typo maps. Those will be a big help. I would also bet there are some little surprises around Pine Bluffs that you would only hear about by living there. Maybe a spring fed farm pond or even a small stream that most people just ignore.

Have fun.

Don

 

[Grizz900]

thanks for your post Sparse on these plain lakes by Laramie. Turns out it very well looks like i'll be able to move; only I think i'm leaning on getting to Laramie. I'll have plenty of activity ahead of me and in medicine bow NF. Just need to find an apt.

 

[sparsegraystubble]

thanks for your post Sparse on these plain lakes by Laramie. Turns out it very well looks like i'll be able to move; only I think i'm leaning on getting to Laramie. I'll have plenty of activity ahead of me and in medicine bow NF. Just need to find an apt.

Hi Grizz,

Housing in Laramie can be an expensive proposition, but I recall that you are in a senior housing apartment in Pine Bluffs. Laramie has a similar building administered by the Cheyenne Housing Authority. It is actually pretty good and has a good location within a short walk of restaurants, a grocery store, and about 4 blocks from our hospital. Worth checking out. Most of the less expensive apartments are primarily student housing and you might not be comfortable there.

If you get here let me know and I will buy you some of that good coffee at Coal Creek. One of their two locations is about 6 blocks from that senior housing building.

Don

 

[Grizz900]

Thanks Don, that would be cool. Just being able to go to a good place for coffee makes life more fun than living here that's for sure! Every day here i feel like i'm getting weaker and weaker while every other fly fisherman in wy is enjoying life, taking off to the river when ever they want. 4 months of evening sunsets and when i'm just standing looking out at the setting sun i think of how great life would be again, bring on the rivers, lakes, getting good exercise, There has been a hang up and i'm tryinbg to work through it. will now more pretty soon.

 

[sparsegraystubble]

Hi Grizz,

We have a relatively new community recreation center with lap and leisure swimming pools, weight room, tons of machines and gyms that is probably about 10 blocks from the senior housing building I keep talking about. I’m really not pushing that place, but it is about the only option in Laramie at anywhere near the rent you are currently paying.

The county jail isn’t a good option because it is difficult to find much fishing time in there. And you can’t tie flies because the other prisoners keep on sniffing your glue. The jail wouldn’t be fair to your dog anyway.

Seriously, keep me posted on your plans.

Good luck,

Don

 

[Grizz900]

I've already found plenty of awesome apts. in Laramie. Once I get on section 8, i'll be able to move into anhy of them IF, and once there is a unit available. Some pretty gorgeous apt complexs too. I'll be tying flies looking out the window at the snowy mnts.