Fishing Long Bow Lake in Flathead County, Montana

• Overview

  Look for Long Bow Lake in the Flathead County part of Montana. Elevation runs to 6,900 feet. Around 77 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. The edge runs 1.4 miles or so, easy to work in an afternoon. Whitefish is the closest place, 35 miles off. Lethbridge is the closest city, 83 miles away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Long Bow Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Records held for Flathead County cover rainbow trout, sockeye salmon and largemouth bass. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Long Bow Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 15°F and August at about 57°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late April. Open water usually runs from late April until about mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. The season on Long Bow Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. Akokala Lake, 2.6 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Rules at Long Bow Lake are worth checking on the day.