Wind River - Looking for fish (of the Golden variety)

Nico

Nico

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Aug 20, 2014
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Hi All! I'm planning a trip into the Wind Rivers for Labor Day weekend. I went up there two years ago and found it to be one of the most amazing places I've ever hiked.

I headed out from Elkhart Park and did a big loop, initially going West toward Glimpse Lake, then up to Elbow Lake, then over to Island and up to Titcombs. Really incredible.

I thought I had done some really thorough research but unfortunately I did not find any golden trout. I've got one more chance to get back into Wyoming this year before I am re-assigned to a new AF base in Mississippi, so I'm trying to make the most of it. If you've got any advice on finding some golden trout (and you are willing to share), please please pleeeeeeease let me know. Thanks a ton!
 
That looks like a useful book, though my only worry is if the material is dated. For example, I picked up Rich Osthoff's "Fly-fishing the Rocky Mountain Backcountry" a couple years ago and used that as a basis for a trip, and then found that some of the lakes he said were teeming are now barren. It is such a dynamic environment out there.
 
Rich's book is an awesome resource. He does mention some lakes and success he had, but he also spends a great deal of time discussing the needs and merits of putting in you could call "research miles" before putting in the trail miles. Basically, high mountain lakes are cyclical, and determining the cycle and getting there at the right point in the cycle will determine the level of success you'll have there.
 
Lakes in the Winds change yearly....... but some of the larger ones stay the same. We had a lake in 2009 that we caught fish in the 20" range every cast on whatever we threw them.... last year that lake was weeded up and no fish...... :mad: A couple others had turn to small brookie lakes.....
 
Nico said:
Goodness that book is expensive! $66 used, over $200 new! It MUST be good!
Click to expand...
It's a limited edition. Only something like 2000 were printed. 1000 or so on the first run, and another 1000 on the next run. You can find them occasionally for about $30 if you keep an eye out on Amazon, but I've seen the floor as much as $125.
 
I think I paid somewhere in the $30-$40 for mine. Its a very detailed book, but sadly a lot of the information is outdated. It also uses Section, Township and Range to give the location of the lakes instead of using Lat./Long. I spent many many hours plotting out all the lakes in Google Earth that had golden trout in them. Sadly I lost them all when I re-did my computer and didn't back them up. DOH!:facepalm:
 
Probably a little late now but I have contacted the Pinedale and Lander Fish and Game offices by email in the past and they have always given me good information about fish species in lakes there in the Wind River range.
 
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