Fishing Copper Lake in Lewis and Clark County, Montana

• Overview

  Copper Lake sits in Lewis and Clark County, out in Montana. Around the bank it is pine and birch. At 6 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Our Lewis and Clark County list holds plenty of bigger water. Lincoln sits 7.8 miles from here and is the nearest stop. The big place round here is Lethbridge, 182 miles distant. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Copper Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Lewis and Clark County list rainbow trout, sockeye salmon and brown trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. At Copper Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 57°F at the top of summer and 19°F at the bottom of winter. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. On average, early May opens the water and mid November closes it again. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Expect Copper Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Reservoir Lake at 4.4 miles is the sensible second choice. What applies at Copper Lake may have changed since it was mapped.