Hubbart Reservoir in Flathead County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Montana holds Hubbart Reservoir, in Flathead County. The bank is 3,435 feet above sea level. At some 480 acres it is far too large to cover on foot in a day. The margin runs to about 6.6 miles in total. Size puts it in the front rank of our Flathead County list. Start from Lakeside, 24 miles down the road. Spokane is the closest city, 126 miles away. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Hubbart Reservoir

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. County-wide records name rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, largemouth bass, brook trout and yellow perch. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Fish Hubbart Reservoir to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 23°F in January up to 63°F in August. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice is part of the season here, ending near early April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early April until roughly late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. The season on Hubbart Reservoir follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Little McGregor Lake, 8.9 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat Hubbart Reservoir as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.