Hanson-Doyle Lake Fishing near Whitefish, Montana

• Overview

  The Flathead County end of Montana holds Hanson-Doyle Lake. The ground round it is mixed forest. About 7 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Most waters listed here for Flathead County are larger. Some 7 miles away sits Whitefish, the nearest settlement. Then Evergreen, 13 miles, and Columbia Falls, 13 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Hanson-Doyle Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Flathead County records list rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, largemouth bass and brook trout among the fish reported. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Hanson-Doyle Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 63°F; the cold one sits at 22°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Averages suggest open water from about early April through to roughly late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Hanson-Doyle Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Season dates differ by species, so read the table. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. Should this one be busy, Hawks Lake is 0.2 miles off. Confirm before you fish Hanson-Doyle Lake.