Fontenelle Reservoir is a quiet, productive reservoir on the Green River in southwestern Wyoming – a trout-and-bass fishery in wide-open sagebrush country, best known among anglers for the world-class tailwater just below its dam at the Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. Off the beaten path and rarely crowded, it’s a destination for those chasing big trout and abundant birdlife on the upper Green.
This guide covers Fontenelle Reservoir: the fishing, the tailwater and refuge, and access. It’s part of our growing Wyoming Lakes Database.
Fontenelle Reservoir at a glance
- Surface area: ~8,000 acres on the Green River
- Location: Lincoln & Sweetwater counties, southwestern Wyoming (near Kemmerer & La Barge)
- Built: Fontenelle Dam, completed 1964
- Top fish: brown & rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, kokanee
Fishing Fontenelle Reservoir
The reservoir offers solid fishing for brown and rainbow trout, smallmouth bass on the rocky shorelines, and kokanee. A Wyoming fishing license is required. But Fontenelle’s real fame lies just downstream: the Green River tailwater below the dam, flowing through the Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge, is a renowned trophy-trout fishery, with big browns and rainbows in clear, cold, year-round water.
Seedskadee and the birds
The Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge protects miles of the Green River corridor below the dam – a vital oasis in the high desert for waterfowl, sandhill cranes, moose, beaver and nesting bald eagles. Birders and float-fishers love this stretch, and the combination of trophy trout and rich wildlife makes the lower Fontenelle area a special place. The reservoir itself has boat ramps and primitive camping but few crowds.
Getting there and what’s nearby
Fontenelle Reservoir is north of Kemmerer and near La Barge in southwestern Wyoming, off US-189, about 1.5 hours north of Rock Springs. Fossil Butte National Monument near Kemmerer and the upper Green River valley are nearby.
Know before you go
- Fishing license: a Wyoming license is required.
- Remote & quiet: few services and little development – come prepared.
- Don’t miss the tailwater: the Green River below the dam at Seedskadee is a trophy-trout fishery.
Frequently asked questions
What fish are in Fontenelle Reservoir?
Brown and rainbow trout, smallmouth bass and kokanee in the reservoir; the Green River tailwater below the dam is a renowned trophy-trout fishery.
What is Seedskadee?
Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge protects the Green River below Fontenelle Dam – prime trout water and rich habitat for waterfowl, moose and eagles.
Where is Fontenelle Reservoir?
In southwestern Wyoming north of Kemmerer near La Barge, off US-189.
Related: explore more of the largest lakes in Wyoming, or head back to the Wyoming Lakes Database.
