Fishing Petrolia Lake in Petroleum County, Montana

• Overview

  Petrolia Lake is a Petroleum County water, Montana side. This is lake country bush ground. Surface area runs to roughly 486 acres, so plan for one area rather than the whole. With 4.9 miles or so of shoreline, boat anglers cover ground the bank cannot. It is one of the larger waters we list anywhere in Montana. The closest town, Roundup, is 37 miles distant. It is 81 miles to Billings, the nearest city. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Petrolia Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Inflow corners move water, and moving water gathers fish. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Across Petroleum County, recorded fish include yellow perch, northern pike, largemouth bass and walleye. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. On Petrolia Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, July reads 71°F and January reads 21°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. The lid usually goes in late March, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The season between ice runs from about late March to early December. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Petrolia Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Check whether bait restrictions apply before you buy any. If the gate is shut, Little Bear Lake at 16 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position at Petrolia Lake before loading the car.