Fishing Abandoned Lake in Carbon County, Montana

• Overview

  You will find Abandoned Lake in Carbon County, Montana. The surface lies 10,066 feet up. Surface area runs to about 10 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is high ground by Montana standards. Some 21 miles away sits Red Lodge, the nearest settlement. After that come Absarokee at 36 miles and Cody at 43 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Abandoned Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Records held for Carbon County cover rainbow trout, brook trout, sauger and walleye. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Abandoned Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August near 47°F and January near 13°F on the long-run figures. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid June. The open-water window runs from around mid June to about late October in an average year. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. That shapes the year on Abandoned Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. For a change of water, Lonesome Lake is 0.7 miles distant. Nothing here settles the position at Abandoned Lake for certain.