Hazel Lake Fishing Guide, Mineral County, Montana

• Overview

  Set in Mineral County, Hazel Lake is a Montana water. The land about it is mixed forest. At roughly 7 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. The closest town, Thompson Falls, is 22 miles distant. After that come Plains at 26 miles and Osburn at 34 miles. Also within reach: Hub Lake after 0.5 miles, Square Lake the better part of 0.7 miles, Clear Lake after 2 miles, Rudie Lake the better part of 2.6 miles and Crystal Lake after 3.1 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Hazel Lake

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, Arctic grayling, brook trout and california golden trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Hazel Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, August reads 58°F and January reads 21°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. After late April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Averages suggest open water from about late April through to roughly late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. It holds true on Hazel Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Hub Lake at 0.5 miles is the sensible second choice. Check the position on Hazel Lake before loading the car.