Cliff Lake Fishing near Bigfork, Montana

• Overview

  Cliff Lake lies in Flathead County, in Montana. It stands 5,591 feet above sea level. About 23 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Bigfork sits 11 miles from the bank. After that come Somers at 16 miles and Evergreen at 18 miles. Within a short drive: Lake Seven Acres just 0.6 miles, Black Lake 1.4 miles away, Aeneas Lake just 1.8 miles, Picnic Lakes 1.9 miles away and Birch Lake just 1.9 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Cliff Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Flathead County cover rainbow trout, sockeye salmon and largemouth bass. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The shape of Cliff Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 57°F, the coldest about 18°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early May. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Time your trip to Cliff Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Lake Seven Acres, 0.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Ask locally about Cliff Lake if anything is unclear.