Fremont Lake
Fremont Lake Rd, Pinedale, WY
Pinedale, WY
A long, cold, glacier-carved lake of startling depth, cupped in the moraines below the peaks of the Wind River Range.
Fremont Lake is a long ribbon of deep, cold water stretching back into the foothills of the Wind River Range above Pinedale. Carved by a great glacier that ground down out of the mountains during the ice ages, it is one of the deepest natural lakes in the United States, plunging hundreds of feet in its central trench.
The lake takes its name from John C. Fremont, the explorer and mapmaker whose 1842 expedition passed through this country. Today it is a beloved local water for boating and fishing and a jumping-off point for the Bridger Wilderness, the vast roadless heart of the Winds that rises just beyond its upper end.
What Guests Love
- The clear, cold, deep blue water framed by pine ridges and distant peaks
- Boating and fishing on one of the largest and deepest lakes in Wyoming
- Using Pinedale as a gateway to the Bridger Wilderness and the high Winds
- Quiet mornings with the mountains mirrored on a still surface
Worth Knowing
- This is a big, deep, cold mountain lake, and afternoon winds can raise a real chop, so watch the weather if boating
- The water stays cold all year, so take care if you swim
- The high season is short; snow lingers late and returns early at this elevation
- Trailheads near the lake lead into designated wilderness, so know the regulations before heading in
Details
Pinedale, WY
Learn about Fremont Lake
A lake the glaciers dug
Fremont Lake sits in a classic glacial trough. During the ice ages, rivers of ice flowed out of the high Wind River Range and gouged a long, deep basin, then dropped ridges of rock and gravel, called moraines, that dammed the lower end. When the ice melted, the basin filled with water.
That glacial origin explains the lake's remarkable depth and its cold, clear water fed by mountain snowmelt. The surrounding ridges of piled glacial debris, cloaked in pine and aspen, frame the lake and mark exactly how far the ice once reached.
On the water and in the trees
The lake is a favorite for boating, sailing, kayaking, and fishing, with a marina, boat ramps, and campgrounds along its lower shore. Anglers pursue lake trout, brown and rainbow trout, and kokanee salmon in the deep cold water, and the big lake trout here can reach impressive size.
Along the shore, forests of lodgepole pine and aspen climb the moraine ridges, laced with trails and dotted with quiet coves. A scenic overlook above the lower end gives a sweeping view down the length of the lake to the peaks beyond.
Gateway to the Wind River Range
Beyond the head of Fremont Lake rises the Bridger Wilderness and the crest of the Wind River Range, home to Gannett Peak, the highest mountain in Wyoming, and to hundreds of alpine lakes, granite spires, and some of the largest glaciers in the American Rockies. Pinedale and the lake are a principal gateway to this high country.
Trails leading from the Pinedale area climb into a world of tundra basins and jagged peaks that draws backpackers, climbers, and anglers from around the world. Fremont Lake is where the mountains begin, the last easy water before the country turns wild and vertical.
History, wildlife, and seasons
This country was long the summer range of the Eastern Shoshone and other tribes, and near Pinedale the Green River rendezvous sites recall the fur-trade era, when trappers and tribes gathered each summer to trade. That deep human history still colors the valley.
Moose browse the willows, elk and mule deer move through the timber, ospreys and eagles fish the lake, and black bears range the slopes. Summer is short, bright, and busy, and the best time for the water. Fall turns the aspens gold, and winter locks the high country in deep snow, when the lake freezes and the peaks stand white against a hard blue sky.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Pinedale
Pinedale
About 3 miles south
A friendly mountain town at the foot of the Winds, home to the Museum of the Mountain Man.
Museum of the Mountain Man
About 4 miles south
A Pinedale museum on the fur trade, the rendezvous era, and Wind River history.
Bridger Wilderness trailheads
Within a few miles
Paths climbing into the roadless high country of the Wind River Range and its alpine lakes.