Fishing at Owl Lake, Park County, Montana

• Overview

  Owl Lake is listed under Park County, Montana. The surface lies 9,544 feet up. At 16 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. It sits higher than most water we list in Montana. The town to know is Livingston, 35 miles out. Absarokee is 36 miles away, with Big Timber at 39 miles. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Owl Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Open biodiversity records for Park County list rainbow trout, brook trout, california golden trout, brown trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Owl Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 49°F in July and bottom out at 15°F in January. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early June. Average temperatures cross freezing around early June in spring and again near early November in autumn. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Plan around that when you fish Owl Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Mapping is blank for access, so scout the approach before committing the car. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Where the way in crosses private ground, ask first. If the gate is shut, Pipit Lake at 0.3 miles is the nearest alternative. Where Owl Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.