Fishing at Bandy Reservoir, Powell County, Montana

• Overview

  Powell County, Montana, is where Bandy Reservoir sits. Elevation runs to 4,203 feet. Surface area is around 53 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Bank access stretches around 1.4 miles in total. Start from Seeley Lake, 13 miles down the road. The big place round here is Lethbridge, 182 miles distant. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Bandy Reservoir

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. Levels move with the draw rather than the rain on water like this. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Across Powell County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, northern pike and largemouth bass. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. At Bandy Reservoir the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 19°F and August at about 64°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Winter locks it down, and early April brings it back. Expect the water usable from around early April until roughly late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Bandy Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. A boat ramp sits about half a mile from the water. A carry of half a mile from the nearest parking is the price of fishing here. You can camp about half a mile away, going by the mapping. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Upsata Lake at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Nothing here settles the position at Bandy Reservoir for certain.