Jasper Lake Fishing near Red Lodge, Montana

• Overview

  Set in Carbon County, Montana, this is Jasper Lake. It lies 10,131 feet above sea level. Surface area is around 69 acres, which gives you real water without needing a boat. Shoreline comes to about 1.1 miles, small enough to learn in a day. Few waters listed in Carbon County are bigger. Red Lodge lies 20 miles from the water. Further out sit Absarokee (35 miles) and Cody (43 miles). Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Jasper Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Fish documented in Carbon County include rainbow trout, brook trout, sauger and walleye. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Jasper Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 47°F; the cold one sits at 13°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count the season from break-up, usually mid June. On average, mid June opens the water and late October closes it again. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. The season on Jasper Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is no mapped parking or launch nearby, which keeps numbers down. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Golden Lake sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish Jasper Lake.