Giefer Lake, Montana: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Giefer Lake is a Flathead County water, Montana side. What surrounds it is rolling bush. Surface area runs to about 3 acres — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Flathead County list. Nearest place of any size is South Browning, 30 miles away. Beyond it, Browning at 31 miles and Bigfork at 31 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Giefer Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Flathead County records list rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, largemouth bass, brook trout and yellow perch among the fish reported. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Giefer Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 57°F; the cold one sits at 18°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early May. The open-water window runs from around early May to about mid November in an average year. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. That is the shape of the year on Giefer Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Moose Lake at 2.2 miles is the nearest alternative. What applies at Giefer Lake may have changed since it was mapped.