Wyoming · Hiking · Winegar Hole Wilderness

Fish Lake

1.6 mi
round trip
28 ft
climb
6,493 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Aug
best months

Is Fish Lake open right now?

No closures listed

The Forest Service lists no closures for Caribou-Targhee National Forest.

As of · Source: USFS · Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Fish Lake is an easy, short hike in the Winegar Hole Wilderness, part of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest's Ashton/Island Park Ranger District in Wyoming. The trail is about 1.6 miles long, with a one-way elevation gain of 28 feet, and it makes an out-and-back route. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 77°F with lows near 38°F, while winter highs stay in the mid-20s. The trail is natural-surface and allows horses, and it is not accessible. Bikes are not allowed. Nearby, the Fish Lake-Mountain Ash Cutoff Trail is about 2.7 miles away, and Cave Falls Campground is about 3.5 miles away. The Bechler River Cutoff Trail and Terraced Falls Trail are each about 4.2 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Aug

    Best time to visit Fish Lake

    Best months: June–August. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      26° / 1°

      18 wet

    2. Feb

      30° / 3°

      15 wet

    3. Mar

      39° / 11°

      15 wet

    4. Apr

      45° / 20°

      14 wet

    5. May

      56° / 28°

      13 wet

    6. Jun

      66° / 34°

      12 wet

    7. Jul

      77° / 38°

      10 wet

    8. Aug

      76° / 35°

      9 wet

    9. Sep

      66° / 28°

      9 wet

    10. Oct

      51° / 21°

      10 wet

    11. Nov

      35° / 11°

      15 wet

    12. Dec

      25° / 2°

      19 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Snake Rvr, WY, 13.9 mi away at 6,882 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

HIKE

Cave Falls Trailhead (9K2)

~6 min drive

This trailhead is located along the Cave Falls Road, just north of the southern park boundary. This trailhead provides access to the following trails: Bechler River Trail South Boundary Trail: Bechler Ranger Station–Grassy Lake Bechler River Trail A classic, strenuous…

Cascade Creek-Falls River Cutoff TrailPhoto: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Cascade Creek-Falls River Cutoff Trail

~8 min drive

Brief out-and-back walk to Cascade Creek Falls in Wyoming.

Pitchstone Plateau TrailPhoto: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Pitchstone Plateau Trail

~10 min drive

Remote 17-mile out-and-back across Wyoming's volcanic Pitchstone Plateau.

HIKE

South Boone

~7 min drive

14.16-mile out-and-back trail in Wyoming with 1,778 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

South Boundary Trail: Bechler RS-Grassy Lake Road

~9 min drive

Remote out-and-back trail through South Boundary backcountry in Wyoming.

Cascade Creek Trailhead (9K5)Photo: W. Bulach, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Cascade Creek Trailhead (9K5)

~8 min drive

This is a more remote trailhead along the southern boundary of the park, which can be accessed by road. From this trailhead you can embark on the following trails within the park: Mountain Ash Creek Trail Terraced Falls Trail

HIKE

Fish Lake-Mountain Ash Cutoff Trail

~5 min drive

Scenic out-and-back forest trail connecting Fish Lake to Mountain Ash Cutoff.

HIKE

Boundary Creek Trail

~9 min drive

16.47-mile out-and-back creek-side trail in Wyoming's high country.

HIKE

Mountain Ash Creek Trail

~7 min drive

11.92-mile out-and-back creek-side hike through Wyoming forest and meadows.

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BITCH CREEK

~10 min drive

5.76-mile out-and-back trail in Wyoming with 694 ft elevation gain/loss.