The Shoshone National Forest has about 2100 (7,900 acres)  lakes, ponds and  reservoirs. There are about 500 mountain lakes on the forest that currently support a fishery with the majority of these located on the Beartooth Plateau, the Fitzpatrick Wilderness and Popo Agie Wilderness. Most of these lakes are found in the granitic geologic type. Granitics are not as erosive as the volcanics, tend to form rolling benchlands and are less steep as a result. The soil type is less porous and stores more surface water. On the other hand, the Absaroka volcanics have very few lakes because of steep slopes, high erosiveness and resulting inability to store surface water.

Historically, most of these high mountain lakes were barren of fish because they were formed by uplifting and glacial activity which isolated them from lowland streams. Many of those lakes that have suitable fish habitat have been subsequently stocked, primarily by Wyoming Game and Fish. Introduced lake game fish species include Yellowstone and Snake River cutthroat, rainbow, rainbow-cutthroat hybrids, brown trout, brook trout, golden trout, lake trout, splake, arctic grayling and mountain whitefish. Due to the high elevations and very short growing season most fish are not large. Non-game species include white, longnose, mountain suckers and lake chubs. Some of these lakes are still barren with a small portion of them having the potential to support a viable fishery.