Fishing Alkali Lake in Blaine County, Montana

• Overview

  The Blaine County end of Montana holds Alkali Lake. Elevation runs to 2,963 feet. Roughly 343 acres of surface: treat each bay as a water in its own right. With about 2.8 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. It is the biggest water on our Blaine County list. Nearest place of any size is Fort Belknap Agency, 34 miles away. For a city, Lethbridge is 194 miles off. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Alkali Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Blaine County include rainbow trout, walleye, black crappie and yellow perch. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Alkali Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 66°F in July and bottom out at 11°F in January. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Look for the thaw near mid April; the fishing lifts straight after. Climate averages put the opening at about mid April and the closing near late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That shapes the year on Alkali Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping shows an empty shoreline: no ramp, no jetty, no marked entry. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Failing this one, try Taits Lake, 14 miles away. Signs at Alkali Lake carry more weight than any list.