Fishing Mine Lake in Madison County, Montana

• Overview

  Mine Lake is a Madison County water, in Montana. It stands 8,924 feet above sea level. Surface area runs to about 11 acres — small enough to read in one session. Start from Whitehall, 27 miles down the road. Then Big Sky, 32 miles, and Three Forks, 33 miles. Within a short drive: Cliff Lake at 0.4 miles, McKelvey Lake lies 0.5 miles on, Twin Lakes at 0.9 miles, Kid Lake lies 1.1 miles on and Upper Branham Lake at 2.5 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Mine Lake

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Madison County: rainbow trout, brown trout and mountain whitefish. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. At Mine Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 53°F on average, January about 17°F. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late May. In an average year the thaw lands around late May and the freeze near early November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. The season on Mine Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. Cliff Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Mine Lake in what we hold.