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Turbogsrhatch 
Group: Members
Posts: 4
Joined: Oct. 2012
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Posted on: Jan. 02 2013, 11:00 pm |
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Hello,
The names Nick, and I am planning on going to the Wind River Range this coming August. I am just having a hard time finding some good trailheads to start off on, since i am coming from Wisconsin. Im not looking for the most amazing views and what not, but am looking for the best fishing i can. It will be about a 7 day trip so any help would be appreciated...
Thanks all and tight lines!
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| Post Number: 2
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bbobb169
Group: Members
Posts: 679
Joined: May 2009
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Posted on: Jan. 03 2013, 2:34 pm |
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Welcome to the forum. Lots of info for the Winds here.......but........search search first, saves a lot of rehash for questions and answers. Need more info as well, hiking ability, time of year going, etc..... 
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Turbogsrhatch
Group: Members
Posts: 4
Joined: Oct. 2012
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Posted on: Jan. 03 2013, 7:34 pm |
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Thanks! Hiking ability well never done mountain terrain but I am in fairly good shape minus being an occasional smoker. We are driving from Wisconsin on the 2nd of August so our time of arrival will be Saturday night sometime depending on when we leave on that Friday. And like ive stated im really only interested in fishing, the wilderness and vast emptiness is just a plua  . So any help would be welcome. Im just starting a new thread cuz i doubt a lot of people make the drive from Wisconsin, and im pretty sure we will want to drive to Lander, WY, but not sure...
Thanks For Any Help
NIck
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| Post Number: 4
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Rics
Group: Members
Posts: 172
Joined: Mar. 2006
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Posted on: Jan. 07 2013, 1:24 pm |
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Nick: You've got to be dead not to catch fish in the Wind Rivers. there's numerous places. The most popular trailheads are on the west side. They are:
Green River Lakes, Elkhart Park, Big Sandy
Head in from there and start fishing your second day.
Probably a good idea to avoid the Island Lake area as it's a busy place sometimes.
I would suggest the areas around Europe Canyon, NOrth Fork Lake, Barnes L. Rainbow. Check your guidbook. Joe Kelsey's is the most popular.
Good Luck.
Rics
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Rics
www.trekkerman.com
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| Post Number: 5
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buddero
Group: Members
Posts: 777
Joined: Jan. 2009
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Posted on: Jan. 08 2013, 10:35 am |
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Wisconsin, hmmm... I know a friend of Brett's up there. I think you should look him up via dorfworld for several stellar Winds routes. Also work your way back through posts in this forum, paying special attention to swimswithbass, I mean swimswithtrout.
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Reach out your hand, if your cup be empty
If your cup is full, may it be again
Journal and links to refugees, backpacking, travel in Asia, photos, honky-tonk angels, other beautiful things...
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swimswithtrout
Group: Members
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Joined: Jan. 2005
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Posted on: Jan. 08 2013, 8:15 pm |
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(buddero @ Jan. 08 2013, 8:35 am)
QUOTE Wisconsin, hmmm... work your way back through posts in this forum, paying special attention to swimswithbass, I mean swimswithtrout.
LOL !! Well, I was born and half raised in Wisconsin....
I've swam with trout at 11,000' in Wyoming, where the water was too cold to even take my U/W camera.
All 100+ lbs of my SCUBA gear is in my pack.
I've swam with sharks in Honduras.
And since I'm a good Wisconsin Boy, I've spent more than my fair share of time swimming with bluegills and perch.
But when you say "Bass", what bass do you mean ?? Kelp Bass in the Pacific ?
Rockbass in Wisconsin ?
or the more familiar Large Mouth Bass ?
In any event, people drive from all over the US to get to the Wind's, so Wisconsin is really not that huge an undertaking.
The problem in your plan is that almost all of the east (Lander side) of the Wind's is either Wind River Indian Reservation tribal property, or the access roads that eventually lead to the trailheads that access Federal land cross through it. This requires "at minimum", a Tribal fishing permit, up to requiring to hire ($$$) a "guide" to drive you to the trailhead.
By far, the easiest access, as well as easiest hiking is on the western side of the Wind's.
With a "plethora" of trailheads and well maintained trails, the west side is your best bet.
Since nobody else has suggested it, pick up a copy of Rich Osthoff's, "Fly-Fishing the Rocky Mountain Backcountry". It's the most detailed "bible" to the backcountry lakes of the Wind's that has been printed to date.
The Wind's are without a doubt, the ultimate mountain lake fishing destination in the US, and before DC (doublecabin) says something about the Sangre's in CO or the Absaroka's in WY; no place in the Rockies can match the shear density of fishable lakes and diversity of species as the Wind's.
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Want to see The Wind River Range in widescreen 1080p ?
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justwalkin
Group: Members
Posts: 396
Joined: Nov. 2008
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Posted on: Jan. 08 2013, 9:27 pm |
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(Turbogsrhatch @ Jan. 03 2013, 7:34 pm)
QUOTE Thanks! Hiking ability well never done mountain terrain but I am in fairly good shape minus being an occasional smoker. We are driving from Wisconsin on the 2nd of August so our time of arrival will be Saturday night sometime depending on when we leave on that Friday. And like ive stated im really only interested in fishing, the wilderness and vast emptiness is just a plua . So any help would be welcome. Im just starting a new thread cuz i doubt a lot of people make the drive from Wisconsin, and im pretty sure we will want to drive to Lander, WY, but not sure... Thanks For Any Help NIck
You can get to some good fishing from any of the trailheads. From the Lander trailheads it will be a full day walk to get to some nice fishing locations. As a general rule, once you get past day-trip distance the fishing gets a lot better. I've done trips out of the Worthen Meadows trailhead and once you get past five or six miles you pretty much have the Winds to yourself. You'll come across a few others, but not many. You can find really good fishing after 10 or 12 miles.
I highly recommend Lander; it's a great town and multiple trailheads are very close, not nearly as crowded as the western slope trailheads, and nobody will mess with your car.
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If a day in the mountains is better than a week at work, why aren't I working in the mountains?
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justwalkin
Group: Members
Posts: 396
Joined: Nov. 2008
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Posted on: Jan. 09 2013, 6:49 am |
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(swimswithtrout @ Jan. 08 2013, 10:37 pm)
QUOTE
(justwalkin @ Jan. 08 2013, 7:27 pm)
QUOTE I highly recommend Lander; it's a great town and multiple trailheads are very close, not nearly as crowded as the western slope trailheads, and nobody will mess with your car. LOL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've only had my car broken into twice, in 40 yrs of BP'g across the US. The latest was at the Bears Ears TH above Lander where they completely stripped the battery out of my truck. Guess they needed a jump really bad, at the end of a remote dead end road, 40 mi from town, ........
You actually left your truck overnight at Dickinson Park? That's Indian country! If you're unwitting enough to leave your truck there then unfortunately you get what you get. Bears Ears trailhead is not above Lander, but Fort Washakie. The trailhead is 37 miles from Lander. Bruce's, Worthen Meadows, and the other trailheads along the seasonal Loop road from Lander to Atlantic City were what I was referring to. Night and day.
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If a day in the mountains is better than a week at work, why aren't I working in the mountains?
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bbobb169
Group: Members
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Joined: May 2009
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Posted on: Jan. 09 2013, 10:47 pm |
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We went in Sweetwater and Ice Lks is where we hit horsepackers and lots of hikers ........all the way to the Cirque. Lost them after going over the pass headed to East Fork.
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Squaretop
Group: Members
Posts: 1200
Joined: Feb. 2002
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Posted on: Jan. 13 2013, 11:34 am |
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Personally, I think the Winds are about the finest place on planet earth. Even I catch fish there. Often one after another on a good day. Most released. Keep one or two for shore lunch. In August there will be bugs, but good fishing. Lakes I remember doing well off the top of my head: Cutthroat Lake, Sauerkraut Lakes, Penny Lake(a secret gem, small , but holds some big ones) Big Sandy Lake and the surrounding lakes at higher elevations,like Black Joe. Barbara Lake, Granite Lake on the way up to Squaretop Mountain.....one hell of a climb. I guess I could go on and on, but that is a good start.
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You can't buy time or memories.
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MrFishunt
Group: Members
Posts: 8
Joined: Mar. 2011
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Posted on: Jan. 16 2013, 11:54 am |
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All,
What would the west side trails and lakes mentioned above be like the first week of July.
Would there be too much snow and ice?
Regards,
Mr. Fishunt
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tamarac
Group: Members
Posts: 236
Joined: Jan. 2008
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Posted on: Jan. 16 2013, 12:20 pm |
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First week of July you should be OK for the most part, but it really depends on the spring snow amounts. The Winds notoriously get hammered in April and May with snow, and in those types of years, early July can be a bit muddy and sloppy etc.,
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tamarac
Group: Members
Posts: 236
Joined: Jan. 2008
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Posted on: Jan. 22 2013, 10:00 am |
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Concur about skeeters in July. Have been to the Winds several times in July and the bugs were horrendous. Really takes away from the enjoyment for me.
Recent years I have decided to go in August or not at all. Much more enjoyable and the crowds seem less to me at least where I am been.
The last two weeks in August, generally after the first frost or two, the mosquitoes basically become nonexistent.
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| Post Number: 18
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Rics
Group: Members
Posts: 172
Joined: Mar. 2006
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Posted on: Jan. 22 2013, 6:39 pm |
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The mosuqitoes are extremely bad in July. Best time in the Winds? Last two weeks in August, first two in September.
Ric
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Rics
www.trekkerman.com
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| Post Number: 19
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Rics
Group: Members
Posts: 172
Joined: Mar. 2006
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Posted on: Jan. 29 2013, 10:51 pm |
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All things considered the last two weeks in August the Wind River Range offers the best overall backpacking experience in North America.
Rics
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Rics
www.trekkerman.com
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