Harpers Lake, Montana: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Harpers Lake is one of the Missoula County listings for Montana. The ground round it is mixed forest. This is a pocket water of some 15 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Nearest place of any size is Seeley Lake, 12 miles away. Lethbridge is the closest city, 187 miles away. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Harpers Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Missoula County names rainbow trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout and northern pike. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Work Harpers Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-run averages give August about 63°F and January about 20°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. Once it clears, about early April, the fishing comes on quickly. Averages place the thaw at early April and the freeze at late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. Time your trip to Harpers Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. There is recorded parking some 150 yards off. Harpers Lake is the mapped fishing point, 30 yards out. Mapping shows a campsite some half a mile from the water. Facilities run to toilets 140 yards from the water. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. If the gate is shut, Blanchard Lake at 0.2 miles is the nearest alternative. For Harpers Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.