Boatman Lake Fishing near Dillon, Montana

• Overview

  Boatman Lake is a Beaverhead County water, in Montana. It stands 8,199 feet above sea level. It covers about 8 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. For a base, Dillon sits 20 miles out. Salmon is 47 miles and Butte 48 miles. Neighbouring water: Minneopa Lake out at 0.7 miles, Estler Lake 1.1 miles away, Twin Lakes out at 1.3 miles, Dollar Lake 1.3 miles away and Tub Lake out at 2.3 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Boatman Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Beaverhead County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout and Arctic grayling. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Boatman Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical July readings run about 53°F; by December the average is down near 19°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Break-up comes around late May, and the run that follows is short and strong. The season between ice runs from about late May to mid November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It holds true on Boatman Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Minneopa Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm access to Boatman Lake locally before you travel.