Welcome to the Wyoming Lakes Database — an independent guide to the lakes of the Cowboy State. Wyoming holds two very different kinds of water. High in the mountains lie some of the most spectacular natural lakes in the country — Yellowstone Lake, Jackson Lake, and the cold alpine basins of the Wind River and Beartooth ranges. Down in the basins, a chain of big reservoirs on the Green and North Platte rivers — Flaming Gorge, Seminoe, Boysen, Pathfinder — turns high desert into trophy fishing and open-water boating. We’re writing a careful visitor guide to every lake worth the journey.
Whether you’re trolling for lake trout under the Tetons, chasing kokanee on a desert reservoir, or backpacking to a cutthroat lake above 10,000 feet, start here.
How to use this guide
Wyoming’s lakes sort into two groups. The Largest Lakes of Wyoming are the great natural lakes and the major reservoirs — the big, well-known water with marinas, ramps and campgrounds. The Small Lakes of Wyoming covers the alpine lakes, the smaller reservoirs, and the high-country waters reached by trail. Within each, lakes are grouped by region — Yellowstone and the Tetons, the Wind River country, the North Platte, and the Green River basin.
Largest Lakes of Wyoming
Yellowstone Lake is the largest high-elevation lake in North America — 130 square miles of cold water at 7,700 feet, full of native cutthroat trout. Jackson Lake mirrors the Tetons behind its dam, and Flaming Gorge Reservoir stretches 90 miles into Utah, famous for record lake trout. Across the basins, Boysen, Seminoe, Pathfinder, Glendo and Buffalo Bill reservoirs anchor the state’s open-water fishing and boating. Browse them all on the Largest Lakes of Wyoming page.
Small Lakes of Wyoming
Wyoming’s small lakes are its secret — thousands of alpine lakes scattered through the Wind River, Bighorn and Snowy ranges, plus accessible gems like Fremont Lake near Pinedale and the cluster of mountain reservoirs above the towns. Many require a hike; the reward is gin-clear water, cutthroat and golden trout, and nobody else around. See them all on the Small Lakes of Wyoming page.
The Wyoming Lakes Database is growing. Every guide is researched and written for people first — real fishing intel, honest access notes, and the stories behind each lake. Browse by Largest Lakes or Small Lakes, pick a region, and go find some water.