Crater Lake, Montana: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Crater Lake is a Flathead County water, in Montana. Height above sea level is 5,791 feet. At about 25 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. For a base, Bigfork sits 8.8 miles out. Beyond it, Somers at 15 miles and Lakeside at 16 miles. Also worth knowing: In-thlam-keh Lake 1 mile away, Three Eagles Lakes 1.4 miles off, Aeneas Lake 1.6 miles away, Pilgrim Lakes 1.7 miles off and Birch Lake 1.7 miles away. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on Crater Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Open biodiversity records for Flathead County list rainbow trout, sockeye salmon and largemouth bass. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Crater Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August to average close to 57°F, with January the cold end at about 18°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The lid usually goes in early May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Plan any trip to Crater Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. The nearest alternative is In-thlam-keh Lake, 1 mile out. Treat Crater Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.