Fishing at Crater Lake, Mineral County, Montana

• Overview

  Crater Lake belongs to Mineral County, Montana. It lies 5,669 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 19 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is among the larger waters listed here for Mineral County. Frenchtown lies 31 miles from the water. The nearest city of size is Spokane, 130 miles away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Crater Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Species logged across Mineral County include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, Arctic grayling, brook trout and california golden trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. The shape of Crater Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 57°F for August and 21°F for December. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. The season between ice runs from about late April to late November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. That is the shape of the year on Crater Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Goose Lake sits 2.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Rules at Crater Lake are worth checking on the day.