Fishing Report For Fontenelle Reservoir, WY

Current Report: Good To Very Good

The Wyoming Game & Fish Department maintains a nice rainbow fishery here, along with browns, cutthroat and kokanee salmon. Trolling is the preferred method here and some nice bows in the 15" to 19" range are showing up with regularity. Anglers fishing from the bank are also catching some nice fish. The diet of a rainbow trout consists of insects, small fishes and crustaceans.

WINTER. Now that Winter has sets in, jigging spoons, and jigs tipped with bait, are catching nice limits of rainbows out of 15 to 35 feet of water. These baits work well around the old river channel in the main basin, near the dam, and along deep channel troughs. Trolling with leaded line or downriggers, or vertical jigging with spoons and jigs, have been the best approach during the early, cold-water season. Ice fishing for rainbows was decent last Winter, and is expected to be good again this year in 15 to 25 feet of water. Slowly worked offerings are more likely to attract bites in this cold water.

SPRING. As water begins to warm in early Spring, rainbow trout move from their late winter holding areas to deeper water, 20 to 40 feet deep. A good number of rainbows are typically caught from mid morning to late afternoon, during the warmest water of the day. Shallow flats and rocky structure are quick to warm in the afternoon sun. Warming flats, bays, and feeder creeks creek mouths, points, shallow coves, and flats adjacent to deep water are popular in Spring. Late Spring finds them feeding in 10 to 20 feet of water. A wide variety of small spinners, spoons and bait are catching most of the fish.

SUMMER. Once Summer is here to stay, the warmer water drives rainbow deeper, 30 to 50 feet deep, occasionally deeper. Trolling the main basin with spoons, spinners and crankbaits, using downriggers or leaded line, and drift fishing with bait, are currently the most productive methods. In summer trout commonly suspend above the thermocline, above humps, deep channel edges and mid-lake structure. Following drop-offs into deeper water, along structure or creek channels, is a major key to getting bites. Anglers fishing from the bank are using nightcrawlers or Berkley PowerBait, with fairly heavy weights on a Carolina rig, to get baits in deeper water.

FALL. Cooling water temperatures in the shallows, draw rainbow trout out of deeper Summer depths. Anglers catch them 15 to 30 feet deep on rocky banks, wind-blown points, and flats. Rainbows feed on deeper rocky structure, humps, and ledges, anywhere baitfish are gathering. Now that these trout have had a full summer to grow, there are some nice size rainbow to be caught. Small spinners, spoons, jigs, miniature crankbaits and swimbaits are good choices, as are salmon eggs and prepared baits. Later in Autumn, they move into 25 to 40 feet of water.

Current Report: Fair To Good

Weekend anglers are catching brown trout on spinners, small jerkbaits, nightcrawlers and a variety of other small offerings. They are also being caught when trolling for rainbows and kokanee. Brown trout can be very aggressive, so bigger baits like a jerkbait can often entice viscous strikes and catch some of the bigger browns. These brown trout often put up quite a battle.

WINTER. Winter has set in, and anglers have been catching a few browns prior to the lake freezing over. Jigging spoons and jigs tipped with bait are catching most limits of brown trout, in 20 to 45 feet of water. Once the ice is safe, ice fishing is quite popular here, using the same baits. After ice out, trolling, drift fishing and jigging spoons all work well. Popular areas include channel edges around creek mouths like the Green River inflow area. Slower presentations improve catch rates as these trout have a low metabolism in the colder months.

SPRING. As water begins to warm in early Spring, brown trout move from their deep winter holding areas to shallower, warmer water. They are found early in the season around 20 to 40 feet deep. Annually, after ice-out, weekend anglers are catching brown trout on spinners, small jerkbaits, nightcrawlers and a variety of other prepared offerings. They congregate around shallow flats - 10 to 20 feet deep. Some of the most productive fishing happens from mid morning to late afternoon, on mid-depth humps.

SUMMER. Once Summer is here to stay, the warmer water drives brown trout deeper, 20 to 45 feet deep, and deeper. Early in the morning and at dusk, they are being caught shallower in these low-light conditions, usually in 10 to 20 feet of water. Trolling around river channel ledges and structure, using downriggers or leaded line, or drift fishing with bait, are currently the most productive methods. Anglers fishing from the bank are using fairly heavy weights, on a Carolina rig to get baits into deeper water.

FALL. Cooling water temperatures again draw browns shallower. Successful anglers are catching them early in the season 15 to 35 feet deep on points, rocky structure, humps, and mouths of bays where baitfish are gathering. Brown trout spawn in the Fall, usually starting in October. Decent catches are report on jerkbaits, miniature crankbaits, small spinnerbaits and swimbaits. Once they have had a full summer to grow, it's a good time to catch a trophy. When they move out to structure in deep water, spoons, jigs and bait are catching browns.

Current Report: Fair To Good

Kokanee take back seat to trout here, but are a nice bonus. Trolling, using Downriggers or leaded line, are the two primary methods for catching kokanee here. Kokanee tend to school up and hang out over deep water, usually above some type of structure. Trolling these baits between 1.2 mph and 1.8 mph is a good speed for these kokes. The ideal water temperature is mid to low 50's.

WINTER. Ice fishing for kokanee was decent last winter, and should be again this year. Now, and when ice fishing later in Winter, kokanee are typically caught from 30 to 60 feet deep. The face of the dam, deep humps, mid-lake troughs, and inlet areas are currently holding decent schools of kokanee salmon. Schools often suspend under the ice in, or just below, the thermocline. On occasion they move deeper. Ice jigs, spoons, PowerBait, ShrimpZ, shoepeg corn and maggots are popular ice fishing baits here.

SPRING. During Spring, kokanee typically move closer to the surface where phytoplankton blooms become more abundant, providing a rich food source. Kokanee will feed heavily on this plankton in 10 to 20 feet of water, until surface temperatures reach the high 50's. Kokanee then stage around 20 to 30 feet deep focusing on schools of baitfish. Look for them in tributary mouths, upper river arms, and warmer, food-rich pockets as they begin to move toward spawning reaches. The upper flats and river channel transition zones, and the main basin are usually hot spots in late Spring. Casting or trolling spinners, spoons, or kokanee rigs works well during this period.

SUMMER. Downriggers or leaded line are the two primary methods for catching kokanee here, while trolling. Kokanee school up and hang out in 30 to 50 feet deep, sometimes over even deeper water, usually above some form of structure. The ideal water temperature is mid to low 50's. Identify the depth for that temperature range, and the kokanee will be hanging out in that depth range. In Summer, good numbers of kokanee come from wind-blown shorelines, flats and points. They are often caught in shallower water, early mornings and evenings around flats and points. Worm harnesses and wedding ring spinner setups are popular when trolled behind a 4" dodger. Locals are tipping these baits with shoepeg white corn, PowerBait, Z-Man Scented ShrimpZ, or live nightcrawlers to helps attract bites. 15 to 30 feet deep is the ideal depth to work in these warmer months. Trolling these baits between 1.2 mph and 1.8 mph is a good speed for these kokes.

FALL. All kokanee caught from Sept 10 through Nov 30 in Wyoming must be released immediately, due to spawning protection regulations. In early Fall, kokanee gather in 10 to 20 feet of water around creeks mouths, as well as 15 to 30 feet deep on points and flats, and ledges along channel breaks. Later they migrate towards spawning grounds, along the shoreline, or upstream around tributaries. In the weeks prior to the spawn, they gathered in sizeable schools near the mouths of these inflows. The spawn typically occurs in mid to late September or early October. Casting or trolling spinners, spoons, or kokanee rigs works well during the spawn. Once late Fall arrives, these schools will move out to deeper structure in the basin, where they are caught in 30 to 40 feet of water, often suspending above structure.