North Picket Pin Lake Fishing Guide, Stillwater County, Montana

• Overview

  You will find North Picket Pin Lake in Stillwater County, Montana. It stands 8,868 feet above sea level. This is a pocket water of some 6 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. The nearest town is Big Timber, 28 miles away. It is 78 miles to Billings, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on North Picket Pin Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Across Stillwater County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, california golden trout, brown trout, brook trout and black crappie. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Fish North Picket Pin Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 20°F and July at about 54°F, the water has a wide range to work through. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near mid May. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid May in spring and again near mid November in autumn. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. North Picket Pin Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Should this one be busy, South Picket Pin Lake is 0.4 miles off. Rules at North Picket Pin Lake are worth checking on the day.