Fishing at Lost Lake, Carbon County, Montana

• Overview

  Out in Carbon County, Montana, sits Lost Lake. The bank is 9,163 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 5 acres — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Carbon County list. You are 21 miles from Red Lodge. The big place round here is Billings, 70 miles distant. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Lost Lake

  Without a survey to go on, judge depth from how the bank falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Reported across Carbon County: rainbow trout, brook trout and sauger. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Lost Lake gives up its fish to patience rather than distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 51°F and January near 18°F on the long-run figures. A full turn of seasons, with the strongest sport on either side of summer. Winter locks it down, and late May brings it back. The season between ice runs from about late May to early November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It holds true on Lost Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Take the rules with you rather than trusting memory. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. The nearest alternative is Shadow Lake, 0.7 miles out. The position on Lost Lake is worth confirming on the day.