Heart Lake in Mineral County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Heart Lake is set in Mineral County, Montana. It lies 5,558 feet above sea level. The water measures roughly 7 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Our Mineral County list holds plenty of bigger water. The nearest town is Thompson Falls, 22 miles away. Plains is 29 miles away, with Osburn at 30 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Heart Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Mineral County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, Arctic grayling, brook trout and california golden trout. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. At Heart Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 21°F and August at about 58°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from late April. The open-water window runs from around late April to about late November in an average year. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Expect Heart Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Crystal Lake is 1.9 miles off. Confirm access to Heart Lake locally before you travel.