Black Lion Lake, Montana: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Beaverhead County, Montana, is where Black Lion Lake sits. The land about it is mixed forest. At roughly 14 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. You are 33 miles from Dillon. Further out sit Butte (34 miles) and Anaconda (35 miles). Alternatives close at hand: Grace Lake out at 1.1 miles, Bobs Lake after 2.5 miles, Canyon Lake out at 2.7 miles, Lake Abundance after 2.9 miles and Crescent Lake out at 3.3 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Black Lion Lake

  Our records hold no depth for this water. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Beaverhead County records list rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout and cutthroat trout among the fish reported. The county list is broader than any single water. Black Lion Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 18°F to 52°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late May. The open-water window runs from around late May to about early November in an average year. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Expect Black Lion Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Failing this one, try Grace Lake, 1.1 miles away. Ask locally about Black Lion Lake if anything is unclear.