Fishing Jay Lake in Stillwater County, Montana

• Overview

  This water sits in Stillwater County, Montana. Height above sea level is 9,823 feet. It runs to roughly 27 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. Size puts it in the front rank of our Stillwater County list. The town to know is Absarokee, 34 miles out. For a city, Billings is 83 miles off. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Jay Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Survey and observation records for Stillwater County include rainbow trout, california golden trout and brown trout. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. On Jay Lake the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 49°F in July and bottom out at 16°F in January. Winter shuts the surface down for months. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early June. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about early June until roughly early November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Jay Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Chalice Lake, 0.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat Jay Lake as unsettled until someone local tells you otherwise.