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Jackson Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The Tetons' mirror: lake trout under America's most photographed skyline, cutthroat at the creek mouths, and ice fishing with a view no shanty deserves.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Water temp
~66 F est.
Air / High
71 / 73 F
Wind
SW 14 mph

Sources: Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Jackson Lake lines up a genuinely fishable day across the board. Today brings clear skies, wind SW around 14 mph, steady pressure near 1006 hPa and a high of 73. Water sits around 66 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Smallmouth bassGood

Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pikeGood

Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Lake troutFair

Transition depths: work 40-80 ft structure edges with white tubes and flutter spoons. Early mornings can find fish surprisingly high over deep water chasing bait.

Yellow perchFair

Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

Tomorrow: Similar at 75 F. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp71 F
High / Low73 / 38 F
WindSW 14-21 mph
Pressure1005.5 hPa, steady
Sky / Rain0% cloud, 0%
Sunrise / Sunset06:49 / 19:52
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~66 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Clear, 73/38 F, wind 15 mph, rain 0%

Fair or better. A 15 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Jackson Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Lake trout illustration

Lake trout

Best: ice-out and fall turnover

The char of the deep: 40-year-old predators patrolling the cold basins of glacial lakes, from the Finger Lakes to the Rockies. Transition depths: work 40-80 ft structure edges with white tubes and flutter spoons. Early mornings can find fish surprisingly high over deep water chasing bait.

Smallmouth bass illustration

Smallmouth bass

Best: May-Oct

Current and rock. Finds gravel flats, boulders and drop-offs, and fights far above its weight. Peak season. Tubes, jerkbaits and swimbaits around gravel points, boulders and current seams.

Northern pike illustration

Northern pike

Best: spring, early winter

The ambush predator of weedbeds and cabbage edges. Aggressive, big and always worth a wire leader. Weedline spinnerbaits, spoons and jerkbaits; bays with fresh green weed hold the active fish.

Yellow perch illustration

Yellow perch

Good most of the year

The great lakes and northern panfish staple. Schools tight to bottom; where you catch one there are fifty. Drifting flats and weed edges with small jigs tipped with bait.

When to come: the Jackson Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Lake trout
Smallmouth bass
Northern pike
Yellow perch
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 66 F (estimated, not a reading).

304050607080JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~66 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Jackson Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 67 F, wind to 11 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Smallmouth bass led the card at good. High of 70 F, wind to 19 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

4/5 Good. Solid day ahead. Stable-to-falling pressure and workable wind line things up. Smallmouth bass led the card at excellent. High of 67 F, wind to 13 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Wyoming requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Wyoming license + AIS decal; Grand Teton NP boating permit. October spawning closure: verify current park dates.

Access

Colter Bay, Signal Mountain, Leeks Marina ramps; winter access from Colter Bay and Spalding.

About this water

25,540 acres at the Teton front, Grand Teton NP, WY. Natural lake raised by Jackson Lake Dam.

Fishing Jackson Lake: the full guide

Fishing the postcard

Jackson Lake fills a glacial trough under the Teton wall: fishing here means playing in the country's most famous view. The lake's depths hold Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat and a robust lake trout population: browns and brookies fill the margins. Every cast comes with the Grand behind it: bring the camera and the downriggers both.

Lakers in the cold clear

Lake trout (stocked a century ago) rule the deep: trolled at 40-90 ft along the east-shore drops in summer, jigged near shore at ice-out and again in October when they stage shallow. The average runs 3-8 lb with 20-plus-pounders reliable: fall's shallow window lets even bank anglers at Colter Bay touch them.

Cutthroat edges

The native fine-spotted cutthroat work the creek mouths and drop-offs: trolled spinners at ice-out, streamers from boats along the weedy south-end flats, and dry flies where tributaries dump summer terrestrials. The Snake's outlet below the dam transitions to the famous river fishery: two blue-ribbon addresses share one dam.

Park rules and ice season

Grand Teton National Park manages the lake: Wyoming license plus park awareness (no felt soles, AIS inspection). October 1-31 closes the lake to protect spawning lakers... check current dates. Winter opens the time-honored ice season: January-March jigging over 30-60 ft with the Tetons pink at dawn: the most scenic hard-water fishing in America.

Common questions

When is ice fishing on Jackson Lake?

January into March most years: lakers and cutthroat over 30-60 ft. Check park ice advisories and dress for negative mornings: the view pays the cold tax.

Can you keep lake trout at Jackson Lake?

Yes within park/state limits: the population is strong. The October closure protects their spawn: plan the shallow bite for late September or ice season.

Is fishing good at Jackson Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Snake River12 miSnake River (South Fork)47 miHenrys Lake63 miHenrys Fork66 miHebgen Lake71 miFremont Lake78 mi
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