North Lake, Montana: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  North Lake lies in Sheridan County, Montana. It lies 2,060 feet above sea level. It runs to roughly 145 acres — big enough to hold fish away from the bank, small enough to learn. The bank runs about 1.7 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. It is a small entry by Sheridan County standards. The closest town, Plentywood, is 24 miles distant. Regina sits 111 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on North Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Public occurrence data for Sheridan County names northern pike, yellow perch, walleye and largemouth bass. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. Read North Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 69°F on average, January about 6°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. The lid tends to go about mid April and return around mid November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. That is the shape of the year on North Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. State Trust covers ground next to the water; its rules will apply on that side. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. The nearest alternative is Round Lake, 1.1 miles out. Nothing on North Lake should be assumed from this page alone.