Mystery Lake Fishing Guide, Flathead County, Montana

• Overview

  Flathead County, Montana, is where Mystery Lake sits. The ground around here is lake country bush. 20 miles away sits Whitefish, the nearest town. Further out sit Columbia Falls (26 miles) and Eureka (27 miles). Close by you also have: Dog Lake roughly 3.5 miles, Upper Stillwater Lake about 3.5 miles, Duck Lake roughly 3.5 miles, Lagoni Lake about 3.9 miles and Upper Whitefish Lake roughly 3.9 miles. Two sets of local rules meet not far from this water.

• Where to Fish on Mystery Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Survey and observation records for Flathead County include rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, largemouth bass, brook trout and yellow perch. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Read Mystery Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put August at about 60°F and January near 18°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Once it clears, about mid April, the fishing comes on quickly. The season between ice runs from about mid April to late November. May into June fishes hardest, and September gives a second good stretch before the lid returns. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Mystery Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Dog Lake, 3.5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Mystery Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.