Boot Lake Fishing in Beaverhead County, Montana

• Overview

  The Beaverhead County end of Montana holds Boot Lake. It lies 8,241 feet above sea level. Around 29 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. The nearest town is Dillon, 22 miles away. Boise sits 203 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. In the same area: Lily Lake within 0.9 miles, May Lake just 1.1 miles, Pear Lake within 1.1 miles, Anchor Lake just 1.4 miles and Tub Lake within 1.6 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Boot Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Public occurrence data for Beaverhead County names rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout and Arctic grayling. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. On Boot Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 18°F in December to roughly 51°F in July. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. Count the season from break-up, usually late May. Climate figures give an open season running late May to early November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Time your trip to Boot Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Lily Lake, 0.9 miles out. Confirm before you fish Boot Lake.