Fishing Pendent Lake in Missoula County, Montana

• Overview

  Pendent Lake is a Missoula County water, Montana side. Elevation runs to 6,483 feet. Surface area runs to about 7 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is a small entry by Missoula County standards. The town to know is Seeley Lake, 20 miles out. Beyond it, Ronan at 27 miles and Pablo at 29 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Pendent Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Reported across Missoula County: rainbow trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout, northern pike and sockeye salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Read Pendent Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 56°F; by December the average is down near 18°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early May. Expect the water usable from around early May until roughly mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. At Pendent Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing on record says whether the bank is open or closed. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Parking space is the usual limit rather than the bank itself. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Upper Holland Lake sits 0.9 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat access at Pendent Lake as something to verify.