Duck Lake Fishing in Glacier County, Montana

• Overview

  Out in Glacier County, Montana, sits Duck Lake. The setting is mixed forest. This is sizeable water at about 1,432 acres, and a boat opens up most of it. The shoreline runs about 6.1 miles, so it pays to pick a stretch and stay with it. Few waters listed in Glacier County are bigger. Cardston is the closest town at 23 miles. North Browning follows at 25 miles, then Browning at 26 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Duck Lake

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Records held for Glacier County cover brook trout, northern pike, longnose sucker, yellow perch and mountain whitefish. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Fish Duck Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August to average close to 59°F, with January the cold end at about 19°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The lid usually goes in mid April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Open water usually runs from mid April until about late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Duck Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. Records list it as a natural water body rather than an impoundment. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Goose Lake sits 2.2 miles off and takes the overflow. Check the position on Duck Lake before loading the car.