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Fishing Desmet Lake: what the data says
3,400-acre reservoir near Sheridan Region. The lake tops out around 120 ft. The contours are modeled from the water's real shoreline and maximum depth. Treat them as a rough guide, and never use them for navigation. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Brown Trout fishing at Desmet Lake
In spring, brown trout run shallow here, mostly 3 to 25 ft. They move out to 25 to 60 ft in summer and finish the year down in 5 to 35 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Break off the point: a drop-off around 54 ft that scores prime in summer. Best bite is after dark and early morning. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Desmet Lake
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer pushes them deeper, 8 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 8 to 40 ft. Sharp break is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 14.292818228102554 ft, rated prime for winter rainbow trout. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Walleye fishing at Desmet Lake
Spring walleye on Desmet Lake hold shallow, usually 4 to 15 ft. By summer they slide out to 15 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 40 ft. The spot to know is Sharp break, a drop-off in about 14.292818228102554 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. In summer the feeding windows fall in the evening and early morning. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Yellow Perch fishing at Desmet Lake
Start shallow in spring: yellow perch sit in 3 to 12 ft that time of year. Summer pushes them deeper, 10 to 30 ft, and winter fish settle into 15 to 35 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 6 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. A drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 12 to 35 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 15 to 35 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Cutthroat Trout fishing at Desmet Lake
Start shallow in spring: cutthroat trout sit in 3 to 15 ft that time of year. By summer they slide out to 10 to 35 ft, and by winter most fish are in 10 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Sharp break: a drop-off around 14.292818228102554 ft that scores prime in summer. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. A trolled spoon (small) or a inline spinner covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Kokanee fishing at Desmet Lake
In spring, kokanee run shallow here, mostly 10 to 30 ft. By summer they slide out to 30 to 70 ft, and by winter most fish are in 20 to 80 ft. Sharp break is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 14.292818228102554 ft, rated prime for spring kokanee. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Tie on a dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger or a kokanee bug + corn and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 10 to 30 ft | dawn | Small dodger + squid (pink), Wedding-ring spinner + corn |
| Summer | 30 to 70 ft | dawn | Dodger + pink/orange squid on downrigger, Kokanee bug + corn |
| Fall | 5 to 40 ft | dawn | Dodger + squid (deeper red/purple), Small spoon |
| Winter | 20 to 80 ft | dawn | Small glow jig + corn or maggot, Tiny spoon |
Desmet Lake also holds lake trout (50 to 120 ft in summer), rock bass (5 to 20 ft in summer). Pick any of them on the map above for rated spots and bait picks.
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 102 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 54 ft
- Feeding flat: feeding flat, around 38.21623836204507 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 30 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 30 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 19.85142414133627 ft
- Sharp break: drop-off, around 14.292818228102554 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 5.892246557484806 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 5.6274936881659485 ft
- Weed flat: weed flat, around 2.2113851387122163 ft
Common questions
How deep is Desmet Lake?
Desmet Lake is about 120 ft at its deepest point. The contours here are modeled from the water's real shape and maximum depth, so treat them as a rough guide.
What fish are in Desmet Lake?
Anglers target walleye, rainbow trout, yellow perch, lake trout, brown trout, kokanee, rock bass, cutthroat trout on Desmet Lake.
Where is the best fishing spot on Desmet Lake?
Sharp break is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 14.292818228102554 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in fall. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Desmet Lake?
For brown trout, the summer bite is best in after dark and early morning. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
S Fork Pond, Lower · Seven Bros Lake 1 · Ringbone Lake · Seven Bros Lake 2 · Trigger Lake · Seven Bros Lake 7
See how Desmet Lake stacks up: best walleye lakes in Wyoming · best rainbow trout lakes in Wyoming · best yellow perch lakes in Wyoming · best lake trout lakes in Wyoming
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