Fishing at Johnson Lake, Deer Lodge County, Montana

• Overview

  Johnson Lake belongs to Deer Lodge County, Montana. The ground round it is pine and birch. At about 45 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Roughly 1.0 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. It ranks high for size among our Deer Lodge County listings. You are 29 miles from Anaconda. Then Warm Springs, 37 miles, and Hamilton, 38 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Johnson Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Deer Lodge County records list rainbow trout, brook trout and Arctic grayling among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Johnson Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 51°F at the top of summer and 17°F at the bottom of winter. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough late May. Expect the water usable from around late May until roughly early November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. On Johnson Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. If the gate is shut, Martin Lake at 0.9 miles is the nearest alternative. Nothing on Johnson Lake should be assumed from this page alone.