Clear Lake, Montana: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Clear Lake falls in Sheridan County, part of Montana. Elevation runs to 1,995 feet. This is sizeable water at about 277 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. The edge runs 2.8 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Montana listings. 21 miles away sits Plentywood, the nearest town. For a city, Regina is 126 miles off. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Clear Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for Sheridan County names northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Clear Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 8°F to 70°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid April. On the long-run averages the water opens up around mid April and starts locking again about late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. The season on Clear Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Brush Lake sits 4 miles off and takes the overflow. Nothing here settles the position at Clear Lake for certain.