Lake of the Woods in Beaverhead County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Lake of the Woods lies in Beaverhead County, Montana. Land around it is lake country bush. At 10 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Supplies mean a trip to Dillon, 39 miles off. The nearest city of size is Boise, 199 miles away. Alternatives close at hand: Odell Lake 0.5 miles off, Schwinegar Lake 0.5 miles away, Elbow Lake 1.7 miles off, Grassy Lake 2 miles away and Baldy Lake 2.4 miles off. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lake of the Woods

  Our records hold no depth for this water. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Species logged across Beaverhead County include rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout and cutthroat trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Lake of the Woods the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warmest month averages 53°F, the coldest about 18°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The lid usually goes in mid May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid May until roughly early November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. That is the shape of the year on Lake of the Woods.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. There is no recorded infrastructure here; expect to find your own way in. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Odell Lake at 0.5 miles is the nearest alternative. None of that is settled for Lake of the Woods in what we hold.