Fishing at Bull Lake, Missoula County, Montana

• Overview

  Bull Lake is set in Missoula County, Montana. It sits at 6,079 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 10 acres — small enough to read in one session. Bonner-West Riverside lies 11 miles from the water. East Missoula lies 12 miles off, Missoula another 13 miles. Nearest other option: Boulder Lake a shade over 2.9 miles, Fly Lake some 3.9 miles off, Sheridan Lake a shade over 3.9 miles, Carter Lake some 4 miles off and Farmers Lakes a shade over 4 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Bull Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Fish documented in Missoula County include rainbow trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout and northern pike. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. At Bull Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, August reads 58°F and December reads 20°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Bull Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Boulder Lake sits 2.9 miles off and takes the overflow. For Bull Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.