Lake Dinah in Missoula County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Look for Lake Dinah in the Missoula County part of Montana. It sits at 6,473 feet above sea level. At 22 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. The nearest place of any size is Seeley Lake, 12 miles away. Ronan follows at 26 miles, then Bonner-West Riverside at 27 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Lake Dinah

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Records held for Missoula County cover rainbow trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. The shape of Lake Dinah decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 56°F for August and 19°F for December. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Ice-out usually falls in early May, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The season between ice runs from about early May to mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. On Lake Dinah that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. For a change of water, Lake Elsina is 0.9 miles distant. For Lake Dinah, the notice at the access point is the final word.