Outlaw Lake Fishing Guide, Sanders County, Montana

• Overview

  The Sanders County end of Montana holds Outlaw Lake. The surface lies 5,715 feet up. This is a pocket water of some 4 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. The town to know is Thompson Falls, 7.6 miles out. Plains is 16 miles and Osburn 38 miles. Not far off: Quail Lake at about 0.7 miles, Tuffys Lake 2.7 miles away, Acorn Lake at about 5.4 miles, Deer Lake 8.2 miles away and Duckhead Lake at about 8.9 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Outlaw Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Species logged across Sanders County include rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. The shape of Outlaw Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 62°F at the top of summer and 24°F at the bottom of winter. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. After early April the shallows warm and the fish move up. Ice usually gives way near early April, and forms again about late November. The strong weeks are the first after break-up and the last before the freeze. That is the shape of the year on Outlaw Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Quail Lake at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Signs at Outlaw Lake carry more weight than any list.