Fishing

I know alot of people here in N. Utah make trips to Wyo. lakes every now and then. Heck, for some of us a trip to Fontenelle, Wyo. is closer than most lakes here in Utah. Anyway, Fontenelle has about 6 in of good ice with more down by the dam. Fishing is slowly starting to pick up. Red/White hair jigs are working the best, tipped with a mealy. If anyone ever wants info about Fontenelle or other Wyo. lakes let me know. I'm originally from there so I make alot of trips up there, etc. and my father fishes them all about 3 times a week.

F4F

How far is Fontenelle from here? I'm not sure where you live but lets say from the mouth of Weber canyon. Did you fish the lake? If so how did you do? What kind of fish are in Fontenelle? Do you know what it cost for a out of state license? WH2

Nonresident, one day fishing license in Wyoming is $10. Some places let you have more than one pole - you may want to check. Being as how Fontanelle Res. is on the Green River you have an excellent chance of picking up big fish. On the first weekend in March, there is a fish derby at Fremont Lake outside of Pinedale. You can check the web for info at www.pinedale.com. There is also a derby at Lake Viva Naughton in the winter, too. To me, derbies are fun without fish.

Good luck!

hey wiper,

fontanelle is about 3 hour drive or so. i have not ice fished it but during ice off it is excellent for very large rainbows. there are some huge browns in the lake but elusive and hard to find. if your in a boat youll have to find structure. i have always fished from shore. the fishing can be speratic but fun cuz you hook some large fish sometimes. these are the only species i know of cuz they are the only ones ive cuaght there. i dont know if bass perch etc live there. good luck if you go and hope this helps
Wherever you are make a mark, and that's by making it better!


Happy Fishing,
Xman

I've included a map link at the bottom from Layton to Fontenelle. I go through Evanston, then up through Kemmerer. It is about 2.5 hrs on the nose for me from my house going 70-75 the whole way (WY speed limits are higher )

Fishing is very good. The lake has Rainbows, Browns and Kokanee. The bows and browns can get big and we generally pull 1 to 2 6-8 lb fish through the ice every year. Fishing can be spotty, but when you do hook one, they are good sized. Avg fish are about 16-18 inches. WY has a 20 inch rule, that only 1 trout can be over 20, so keep that in mind. You can keep 6 total of all species with the 1 over 20 rule in mind. You can use 2 poles which is great. You can on every lake/stream in the SW portion of the state.

We do alot better on the east side across the dam. You will need to cross the river about 2 miles south of the lake to get there. The dam has been closed due to 911 (it is the first major dam in the Green River drainage. If someone was to blow it, it would take out the Gorge, then Lake Powell, etc. down the line.).

White and red are usually the best bets. White/red hair jigs work good and foxy jigs with the pink eye work as well. Sometimes green is on, but white/red are the "old standbys". The fish can be tricky to find down by the dam in the deeper water, but along the shorelines, they usually always sit just off the bottom in about 15-20 feet of water. Over 20 feet, you will need to find them in the thermals, etc.

 Thanks MrLipripper and Xman for the information. F4F, I've always wanted to fish Fontenelle but don't know much about it.Thanks for the information about the area, it sounds like the lake has a lot of the fish that I love to chase plus kokanee. Have you had any success catching kokanee there, any size to them? I'll send you a PM before I go to get more information, if that is OK. How do I get to the map link? WH2

Oops.. I forgot the link. I clicked on the test one and it didn't work so I removed it. Forgot to remove the text. Just goto Yahoo Maps, put your home city and then Fontenelle, WY (it is an actual city) and it should show you how to get there. PM is fine.

We never really target the Koks specifically, but will pick some up every now and then. They usually run around 15 inches, 1-2 lbs.

Hey F4F! Do you know anything about Jackson Lake? I know that's a long way north of Fontenelle and other SW Wyoming fishin' holes but I was just wonder. I want to go fish for Lake Trout and I've heard that lake can be awesome, espiecally through the ice. Thanks for your time.

BLM.. sorry, but I don't. I know they changed the snowmobiling/ATV laws in that area and I don't think you can have one on the lake this year. You would need to double check that. With that in mind, it would put a huge damper on fishing it, considering getting around on it is a must because of its size. I heard some good things about it for ice fishing, but that is only if you can get away from the people, etc.

Being a Laker fan, have you ever been to Middle Piney Lake in Wyo? It is just outside of Big Piney. It is a high country lake (9000 ft) that only allows electric motors in the summer and the ice gets 30+ inches thick. It has some big ol' Macks in it. We usually hit it on the ice off and have ripped some dandys out of it. I have never tried it through the ice, but have heard some stories of some big ones coming through it. The local guides work it over all the time which should tell you something considering the Wind Rivers aren't too far from there. Anyway.. sorry about Jackson Lake.

Middle Piney Lake sounds like an option too. How long is it to get there from Ogden? Do you need snow machines to get around? If those big macks are under the ice you can bet you can drag'um up! My power auger has an extension so 48" of ice is a doable option but and 8" hole ain't big enough for good macks! I'm sure a guy could find lodging in Big Piney without a hitch and at 9000 ft, it could be fished later in the season and still have great ice. F4F, you got me thinking about an adventure. I will be buggin' you for more info for sure! Thanks, Wanna go fishin'?

Yup, you need machines to get in and ice stays into late May. It is about 4 hours from Ogden.

As far as sleds, I have 2 sitting in Kemmerer, WY at my dad's house (about 1 hr from Big Piney). He is always anxious to go and I think he just bought a new 10 inch auger. We may need to just plan a trip! I'll get a hold of him and find out some info on the ice and reports and let you know.

We usually try to get into it right before Memorial Day. Ice is sometimes off or gone on the edges. The big boys come up from the deep water and fish along the edge. It's a sight I've only seen there.. the little fish and minnows jump for their lives as they swim by. It looks like a raincloud moving across the lake. We usually throw a lure out on the ice and wait for a "rain cloud", then try to time it and cross the big boys.

hey fishin

it looks like you fish alot of areas out of state i love too. do you mostly ice fish? if your headin up those parts on open water adventures we should mosy up sometime. that would be fun i think. i dont know many other people fish those parts so nice to see a local face. hey is the hamms iced over yet? thanks
Wherever you are make a mark, and that's by making it better!


Happy Fishing,
Xman

I also fish that area when I can. The Hams was froze 3 weeks ago Xman. Where have you been fishing lately? I know you posted that you aren't an iceguy. Hey fish4fun, can you get a 4wheeler out on Naughton or Fottenelle now? Thanks.



Fishman

been mostly hitting the open water around here. i stay in state during the winter. havent had alot of time to go out this winter sadly since its my favortie time to get out. but then next month will be great. lets all plan a wyoming outing then.
Wherever you are make a mark, and that's by making it better!


Happy Fishing,
Xman

My dad hit Fontenelle this morning and it has about 10 in. Fishing was slow, but it should pick up soon. You should be pretty safe with a 4 wheeler from here on out. I would assume Viva Naughton has about the same. The Hams is frozen, except in the faster areas, but even they are locking up too.

I'm big into ice, fly and shore fishing. I have a small 12' alum for lakes like Currant Creek and Middle Piney, WY. I don't use it enough and would almost rather fly fish from my float tube.

I usually make it to Wyo. every 2-3 weeks during the winter, more in the Spring/Summer. I really hit it hard when the ice comes off Fontenelle.

I'm up for a fishing trip. We should plan a Fontenelle ice fishing trip in Feb. By then, we should have an idea where they are and whether it is worth the trip.

You guys don't have to twist my arm to go on a trip up north! That I can tell ya. I want to hook up with you on the Weber Xman. I would like to swap some secrets for those elusive browns. By looking at your pics on here it seems that you are a fishing machine and that you love those browns as much as I do. Do you fish the Weber that much in the winter? I usually wait until spring when there is some water in it. Thanks for the update fish4fun. Do you fish the derbies up there?



Fishman

I usually try to hit the Viva Naughton derby. I missed it last year and this year is a big ? mark. The guy that owns the Marina has really turned things sour up there. Especially with the locals or former locals like myself. It makes it hard to talk myself into it. I usually go just because it is another day of fishing!