Lightning Lake, Montana: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Set in Stillwater County, Montana, this is Lightning Lake. It sits at 9,380 feet above sea level. It measures about 57 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The full circuit measures close to 1.0 miles on foot. On our Stillwater County list it sits near the top for size. Livingston lies 33 miles from the water. Absarokee is 33 miles and Big Timber 35 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Lightning Lake

  Depth remains unrecorded, so treat the first session as a survey. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Stillwater County records list rainbow trout, california golden trout, brown trout and brook trout among the fish reported. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. At Lightning Lake light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put July near 52°F and January near 19°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Break-up comes around late May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Average temperatures cross freezing around late May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. At Lightning Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Chalice Lake is 1.4 miles distant. Nothing here settles the position at Lightning Lake for certain.