Fishing at Pat Lake, Park County, Montana

• Overview

  Pat Lake stands in Park County, Montana. The setting is pine and birch. This is a pocket water of some 9 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. Red Lodge sits 26 miles from here and is the nearest stop. The nearest city of size is Billings, 80 miles away. The nearest boundary is well away, so one set of rules covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Pat Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Public occurrence data for Park County names rainbow trout, brook trout, california golden trout, brown trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. Treat Pat Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 14°F to 49°F. The year runs cold to warm and back, with clear transitions. Ice-out usually falls in early June, and the weeks after it fish hardest. Ice usually gives way near early June, and forms again about early November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. It sets the rhythm of the year at Pat Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. The nearest alternative is Jenny Lake, 0.8 miles out. Rules at Pat Lake are worth checking on the day.