Fishing Buck Lake in Lake County, Montana

• Overview

  This water sits in Lake County, Montana. It lies 6,496 feet above sea level. Small at around 9 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Seeley Lake lies 16 miles from the water. It is 173 miles to Spokane, the nearest city. Within a short run: Summit Lake 0.8 miles away, Lost Sheep Lake some 1.3 miles off, Sunset Lake 1.4 miles away, Whelp Lake some 1.6 miles off and The Angels Bathing Pool 2.2 miles away. No boundary runs near, so the county rules hold throughout.

• Where to Fish on Buck Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Lake County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, sockeye salmon and smallmouth bass. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Take Buck Lake a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 18°F in December to roughly 57°F in August. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early May. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. On Buck Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Summit Lake is 0.8 miles off. For Buck Lake in particular, ask before you travel.