Wyoming Anglers - Wind, Wind, and more Wind!

If any of you have lived in Wyoming for any significant amount of time, you probably have figured out that May is one of the windiest months of open water fishing for Wyoming Anglers. This makes it tough to take the boat out on the water and can make the fishing fairly miserable. Don't let that discourage you though. May can be a great time to catch certain species. Walleye, trout, and panfish will be getting in the mood to bite this month.


The trout bite is already hot for many of the Wyoming waters and the walleye bite will start going crazy here in about 3 - 4 weeks. If you are like most Wyoming anglers, you probably haven't done a whole lot of fishing in 2009, and you have an itch to get out and catch something. My advise is to get out there, brave the wind, and try to catch one of the large rainbow trout that are spawning all over Wyoming right now. Rainbows fight extremely well and would make for a great first fish of the year. Refer back to my May 2009 Outlook article for more information on what fish you can typically catch during the month of may.


May is a windy month but if you go fishing at the right times of day, you can avoid some of the weather. My recommendation for Wyoming anglers is to go early in the morning. Most mornings are fairly calm around the state and can make for some enjoyable fishing. However, the afternoons are usually the windiest times of day. For me, 1:00 - 2:00 in the afternoon are the worst times to be out on the water because the wind blows extremely hard during that time. Rarely you will find a nice afternoon where the wind doesn't come up but don't count on it!


It is super important for Wyoming anglers to stay safe out on the water. Unfortunately a man died last week on Upper Sunshine reservoir. The man and his son were loading their boat at the boat ramp when the boat slipped off the trailer. The man tried to swim out and get the boat before it got too far away. The problem was that the water was only 40 degrees, which sent his body into instant hypothermia. In a matter of seconds that makes the body slow down and the person's heart goes into cardiac arrest. The man died as a result of being in the water for only a matter of minutes. This is a grim reminder of just how dangerous the water can be.

Make sure to never swim out after your boat in any high mountain lake/reservoir. It is safe to swim in our warmer water lakes/reservoirs in the summer months but it is dangerous on high mountain lakes just about year around.

Be safe out there and good fishing!