Hillside Reservoir Fishing Guide, Lake County, Montana

• Overview

  The Lake County end of Montana holds Hillside Reservoir. Elevation runs to 2,740 feet. Surface area runs to about 12 acres — small enough to read in one session. Ground here is low by Montana standards. Supplies mean a trip to Ronan, 11 miles off. It is 149 miles to Spokane, the nearest city. Being near a boundary, it pays to know which side you are fishing.

• Where to Fish on Hillside Reservoir

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Look for where the old bank line still shows under the surface. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Open biodiversity records for Lake County list rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and largemouth bass. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Hillside Reservoir the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 68°F in July and bottom out at 26°F in January. A lid forms in a hard winter only. It should never be assumed safe, whatever the month says. Spring and autumn carry the year; summer squeezes it into the ends of the day. Hillside Reservoir runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Mapping shows no built access close by; expect to walk in from wherever you can leave the car. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Ninepipe Reservoir sits 6.8 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish Hillside Reservoir.