Lake Solitude, Montana: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Madison County, Lake Solitude is a Montana water. Everything around it is mixed forest. At about 94 acres, a day is enough to walk the shoreline properly. Size puts it in the front rank of our Madison County list. The nearest town is Big Sky, 7.3 miles away. Billings sits 145 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Lake Solitude

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Species logged across Madison County include rainbow trout, brown trout and mountain whitefish. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Lake Solitude gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 18°F to 54°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid May. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about mid May until roughly mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. Plan around that when you fish Lake Solitude.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. No made access appears within a short radius, so plan to park on a verge and walk. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. If the gate is shut, Upper Falls Creek Lake at 1.1 miles is the nearest alternative. For Lake Solitude, the notice at the access point is the final word.