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Fishing Pathfinder Reservoir: what the data says
17,288-acre reservoir near Alcova. The 1909 granite-dam reservoir on the North Platte. Wind-hardened trout water with walleye in the bays. The lake tops out around 192 ft. Depth here is modeled from the true shoreline and max depth rather than surveyed; use it to plan, not to navigate. Here is how the season plays out for each species, straight from the data behind the map.
The drawn water covers 22,665 acres wrapped in 125.8 miles of bank, broken up by an island. With a shoreline index of 6, this water is all arms and coves — edge habitat well beyond its acreage. 41% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft), per the model — cover, weeds and forage water.
Brown Trout fishing at Pathfinder Reservoir
The spring pattern is a shallow one: brown trout in 3 to 25 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 25 to 60 ft before dropping to 5 to 35 ft for winter. The spot to know is Sweetwater River inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in spring. Plan around after dark and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a spoon at the thermocline or a deep stickbait (night) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Sweetwater River inflow (8 ft) | Stickbait off planer boards (shallow), Small spoon along mud lines |
| Summer | 25 to 60 ft | night & dawn | Offshore hump (24 ft) | Spoon at the thermocline, Deep stickbait (night) |
| Fall | 5 to 30 ft | dusk & dawn | Sweetwater River inflow (8 ft) | Jerkbait over gravel, Casting spoon |
| Winter | 5 to 35 ft | dawn | Sweetwater River inflow (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Small stickbait (slow) |
Cutthroat Trout fishing at Pathfinder Reservoir
The spring pattern is a shallow one: cutthroat trout in 3 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 10 to 35 ft before dropping to 10 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Sweetwater River inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for cutthroat trout in spring. Plan around early morning and the evening in the warm months. Summer baits: a trolled spoon (small) or a inline spinner gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 15 ft | dawn & dusk | Sweetwater River inflow (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver/gold), Small spoon |
| Summer | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (8 ft) | Trolled spoon (small), Inline spinner |
| Fall | 5 to 25 ft | dawn & dusk | Shoreline point (7 ft) | Casting spoon, Inline spinner |
| Winter | 10 to 40 ft | dawn | Rock reef (9 ft) | Small jigging spoon, Marabou jig |
Rainbow Trout fishing at Pathfinder Reservoir
When the water first warms, rainbow trout slide up into 5 to 20 ft. By summer they slide out to 8 to 30 ft, and by winter most fish are in 8 to 40 ft. If you only fish one area, make it Sweetwater River inflow: a inflow / creek mouth around 8 ft that scores prime in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Keep a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon rigged through the warm months.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Sweetwater River inflow (8 ft) | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 8 to 30 ft | dawn & dusk | Sweetwater River inflow (8 ft) | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 10 to 35 ft | dawn & dusk | Rock reef (9 ft) | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 8 to 40 ft | dawn | Sweetwater River inflow (8 ft) | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Walleye fishing at Pathfinder Reservoir
The spring pattern is a shallow one: walleye in 4 to 15 ft. Midsummer fish sit out in 15 to 35 ft before dropping to 20 to 40 ft for winter. The spot to know is Sweetwater River inflow, a inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for walleye in spring. Plan around the evening and early morning in the warm months. Summer baits: a crawler harness on bottom bouncer or a deep crankbait (trolled) gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Start at | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 4 to 15 ft | dusk & dawn | Sweetwater River inflow (8 ft) | 1/8 oz jig + minnow, Hair jig |
| Summer | 15 to 35 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (24 ft) | Crawler harness on bottom bouncer, Deep crankbait (trolled) |
| Fall | 12 to 40 ft | dusk & night | Offshore hump (24 ft) | Jigging rap, Jig + big minnow |
| Winter | 20 to 40 ft | dusk & dawn | Offshore hump (24 ft) | Jigging spoon + minnow head, Rattle bait |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 163 ft
- Old creek channel: creek channel, around 96 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 86 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 48 ft
- Secondary point: point, around 48 ft
- Offshore hump: offshore hump, around 24 ft
- Rock reef: rock pile, around 9 ft
- Sweetwater River inflow: inflow / creek mouth, around 8 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 8 ft
- Shallow flat: weed flat, around 7 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 7 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 6 ft
- Shoreline point: point, around 3 ft
Pathfinder Reservoir fishing regulations
Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Wyoming waters are set by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department — and special regulations can apply to Pathfinder Reservoir specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.
Check the official Wyoming fishing regulations →
Common questions
How deep is Pathfinder Reservoir?
Pathfinder Reservoir is about 192 ft (59 m) deep 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 Pathfinder Reservoir?
Anglers target walleye, rainbow trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout on Pathfinder Reservoir.
Where is the best fishing spot on Pathfinder Reservoir?
Sweetwater River inflow is the top-rated area: a inflow / creek mouth in about 8 ft of water that rates prime for brown trout in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Pathfinder Reservoir?
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.
What are the fishing regulations for Pathfinder Reservoir?
Fishing on Pathfinder Reservoir is regulated by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Check the official Wyoming regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.
Nearby waters
Dome Rock Res 11 mi · Beulah Belle Lake 15 mi · Seminoe Reservoir 20 mi · Shirley Basin Reservoir 32 mi · North Platte River (Grey Reef) 33 mi · Walker Jenkins Lake 41 mi · Goldeneye Reservoir 46 mi · Bryan Stock Trail Pond (Lake Makenzie) 47 mi · Teton Res 56 mi · Big Muddy Pond 58 mi · Big Muddy Reservoir 62 mi · Sheepherders Reservoir 63 mi
See how Pathfinder Reservoir stacks up: best walleye lakes in Wyoming · best rainbow trout lakes in Wyoming · best brown trout lakes in Wyoming · best cutthroat trout lakes in Wyoming
Browse all Wyoming fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.