Cottonwood Lakes Fishing near Seeley Lake, Montana

• Overview

  Set in Powell County, Cottonwood Lakes is a Montana water. The country round it is pine and birch from end to end. Surface area runs to about 11 acres — small enough to read in one session. Seeley Lake sits 6.3 miles from the bank. It is 176 miles to Lethbridge, the nearest city. A county boundary sits nearby, which can matter for local access rules.

• Where to Fish on Cottonwood Lakes

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout and northern pike. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Cottonwood Lakes the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 19°F in January and 58°F in August. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about mid November in an average year. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Anyone fishing Cottonwood Lakes regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. For a change of water, Big Sky Lake is 4 miles distant. Ask locally about Cottonwood Lakes if anything is unclear.