Fishing Gyrfalcon Lake in Flathead County, Montana

• Overview

  The Flathead County entry here is Gyrfalcon Lake, in Montana. Elevation runs to 7,264 feet. Around 25 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Columbia Falls is the closest place, 33 miles off. Further out sit Whitefish (33 miles) and Cardston (41 miles). The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Gyrfalcon Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across Flathead County: rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, largemouth bass and brook trout. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Gyrfalcon Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year August sits at 54°F and January at 14°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid May. Ice usually gives way near mid May, and forms again about early November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan any trip to Gyrfalcon Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Nahsukin Lake is 1.2 miles distant. For Gyrfalcon Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.