Lake WGN

Drainage: Clarks Fork (WY)
Approaches: Off-road track past Duck Lake and Chain Lakes, roadside at the shore. 4x4 or ATV only

Elevation: 9,489 feet
Fish: No longer a viable fishery per WYG&F reports
Coordinates: 44.90520, -109.49510
Bugs: Minimal on our visit

Getting there

Past Duck Lake the route turns fully rough. You need a lifted truck, a sturdy Jeep or a four-wheeler, and there are technical spots requiring real driving skill and a vehicle in good shape. A standard car will not make it.

The track runs past Chain Lakes and brings you right alongside WGN at 9,489 feet. Sawtooth is further on and lower, at the end of the road.

The hike

There isn't one. The lake sits right off the side of the track.

WGN is small, 0.2 acres, by far the smallest water on this drive. Chain Lakes above it is 80 acres and Sawtooth below is 115. This is a stop rather than a destination, and it is worth knowing that before you plan around it.

Wyoming Game and Fish reports describe the lake as being in the late stages of eutrophication and no longer a viable fishery. That matches what we found, though fishing was slow across this whole chain rather than only here.

Tips & safety

• The road is technical. True 4x4 or ATV past Duck Lake. This is the difficulty of the entire trip.

• Do not plan on fishing here. WYG&F has it as no longer viable. If you are fishing this chain, Sawtooth at 115 acres or Chain Lakes at 80 are the water worth your time, though both fished slowly for us.

• Camping: WGN sits at 9,489 feet right at the roadside, which makes it accessible with real gear rather than a pack. At a fifth of an acre there is almost no shoreline and nothing much to look at. Sawtooth further down the track is the better roadside camp by a wide margin.