Fishing Picture Lake in Lake County, Montana

• Overview

  Set in Lake County, Montana, this is Picture Lake. The water sits 6,847 feet up. The whole thing is a single swim; walk it in a minute. It is one of the smaller waters we list in Lake County. You are 32 miles from Pablo. Then Polson, 33 miles, and Ronan, 33 miles. In the same area: Recluse Lake (5.3 miles), Late Lake 5.8 miles off, Palisade Lake (6.8 miles), Sunburst Lake 7 miles off and Olor Lake (7.7 miles). It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Picture Lake

  Nothing in our records gives a depth for this one. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Across Lake County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, sockeye salmon and smallmouth bass. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Read Picture Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages here run 56°F at the top of summer and 18°F at the bottom of winter. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around early May. Climate averages put the opening at about early May and the closing near mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It holds true on Picture Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Ask in the nearest town if you are unsure. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Recluse Lake at 5.3 miles is the sensible second choice. The position on Picture Lake is worth confirming on the day.