Hatchet Lake Fishing in Park County, Montana

• Overview

  Hatchet Lake falls in Park County, part of Montana. The setting is pine and birch. It covers about 17 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Compared with other Montana water on our list, it sits high. Red Lodge lies 25 miles from the water. Billings sits 78 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Hatchet Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Park County include rainbow trout, brook trout, california golden trout, brown trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Work Hatchet Lake in sections rather than trying to cover it.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 49°F on average, January about 14°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early June. Average temperatures cross freezing around early June in spring and again near early November in autumn. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Hatchet Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. The nearest alternative is Farley Lake, 0.6 miles out. Check the position on Hatchet Lake before loading the car.