Baney Lake Fishing near Whitefish, Montana

• Overview

  In Montana, Baney Lake belongs to Flathead County. The bank gives way to rolling bush. Small at around 6 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Most waters listed here for Flathead County are larger. Nearest town is Whitefish, 7.3 miles off. It is 120 miles to Lethbridge, the nearest city. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Baney Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. 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. Public occurrence data for Flathead County names rainbow trout, sockeye salmon and largemouth bass. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Read Baney Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 22°F in January to roughly 63°F in August. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from early April. The open-water window runs from around early April to about late November in an average year. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. It holds true on Baney Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. The nearest mapped parking is half a mile away, so the last stretch is on foot. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Northwestern Lake, 0.6 miles out. Treat access at Baney Lake as something to verify.