Lake at Falls in Carbon County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lake at Falls is a Carbon County water, in Montana. The surface lies 8,117 feet up. The water covers some 48 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. It is among the larger waters listed here for Carbon County. The closest town, Red Lodge, is 23 miles away. Then Absarokee, 30 miles, and Columbus, 42 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Lake at Falls

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name rainbow trout, brook trout, sauger, walleye and channel catfish. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Lake at Falls fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 14°F to 49°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early June. Climate averages put the opening at about early June and the closing near early November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Expect Lake at Falls to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Martin Lake at 0.6 miles is the sensible second choice. Confirm access to Lake at Falls locally before you travel.