Fishing at Doyles Slough, Missoula County, Montana

• Overview

  Doyles Slough belongs to Missoula County, Montana. Around the bank it is mixed forest. The water measures roughly 19 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Lolo lies 0.7 miles from the water. Spokane is the closest city, 170 miles away. Nearby alternatives: Little Carlton Lake some 9.1 miles off, North One Horse Lake 9.9 miles, Reed Lake some 10 miles off, South One Horse Lake 11 miles and Peterson Lake some 12 miles off. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Doyles Slough

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Missoula County cover rainbow trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. The shape of Doyles Slough decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 66°F at the top of summer and 24°F at the bottom of winter. The freeze arrives properly here and holds. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near mid March. Averages place the thaw at mid March and the freeze at early December. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. Plan around that when you fish Doyles Slough.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping shows a ramp about half a mile from the shore. Expect a half a mile walk in from where the car goes. Ranchette Park is mapped as a fishing spot half a mile from the water. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. Some banks are open only from a marked point. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. The nearest alternative is Little Carlton Lake, 9.1 miles out. Nothing on Doyles Slough should be assumed from this page alone.