Fishing at Bobcat Lakes, Beaverhead County, Montana

• Overview

  Bobcat Lakes sits within Beaverhead County in Montana. The ground around here is rolling bush. Small at around 5 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. The nearest place of any size is Anaconda, 37 miles away. Dillon lies 40 miles off, Butte another 42 miles. Other water within reach: Grassy Lake 1.3 miles off, Schwinegar Lake some 2.6 miles off, Lake of the Woods 2.8 miles off, Baldy Lake some 2.9 miles off and Sand Lake 3 miles off. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Bobcat Lakes

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Beaverhead County records list rainbow trout, brook trout and brown trout among the fish reported. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. Anyone new to Bobcat Lakes should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 53°F, with December the cold end at about 18°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Break-up comes around mid May, and the run that follows is short and strong. The season between ice runs from about mid May to early November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. The season on Bobcat Lakes follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. West Pioneer Wilderness Study Area covers this ground, which means extra rules to check. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Grassy Lake at 1.3 miles is the sensible second choice. For Bobcat Lakes, the notice at the access point is the final word.