Margaret Lake in Park County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Margaret Lake falls in Park County, part of Montana. The setting is lake country bush on every side. About 8 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. Red Lodge lies 31 miles from the water. The big place round here is Billings, 83 miles distant. Others within reach: Lillis Lake within 0.5 miles, Vernon Lake out at 0.5 miles, Reed Lake within 0.7 miles, Kersey Lake out at 0.9 miles and Rock Island Lake within 1.1 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Margaret Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Park County names rainbow trout, brook trout and california golden trout. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. The shape of Margaret Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 16°F to 52°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. After late May the shallows warm and the fish move up. Averages suggest open water from about late May through to roughly early November. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. Anyone fishing Margaret Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Nothing is mapped in the way of a ramp or car park within a short radius. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. Night access is frequently treated as a separate matter. For a change of water, Lillis Lake is 0.5 miles distant. Ask locally about Margaret Lake if anything is unclear.