Murray Lake Fishing in Flathead County, Montana

• Overview

  This water sits in Flathead County, Montana. Land around it is pine and birch. With some 43 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. There is roughly 1.1 miles of shoreline here, which is a short walk end to end. The nearest place of any size is Whitefish, 5.7 miles away. The big place round here is Lethbridge, 114 miles distant. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Murray Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Survey and observation records for Flathead County include rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, largemouth bass and brook trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. At Murray Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 63°F; by January the average is down near 21°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Once it clears, about early April, the fishing comes on quickly. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about late November. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. It holds true on Murray Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. If the gate is shut, Rainbow Lake at 0.5 miles is the nearest alternative. Confirm access to Murray Lake locally before you travel.