Fishing Pilgrim Lakes in Flathead County, Montana

• Overview

  Pilgrim Lakes falls in Flathead County, part of Montana. It stands 6,342 feet above sea level. With some 30 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The nearest place of any size is Bigfork, 10 miles away. Lethbridge is the closest city, 120 miles away. Others worth noting: Three Eagles Lakes 0.7 miles away, Big Hawk Lake sits 0.7 miles out, Crater Lake 1.7 miles away, In-thlam-keh Lake sits 2.5 miles out and Tom Tom Lake 2.7 miles away. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Pilgrim Lakes

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Flathead County records list rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, largemouth bass and brook trout among the fish reported. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Pilgrim Lakes responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 18°F to 57°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Once it clears, about early May, the fishing comes on quickly. Expect the water usable from around early May until roughly mid November. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. Expect Pilgrim Lakes to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Nothing in the way of made access shows up nearby: no ramp, no car park, no path. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. A phone call first saves an afternoon. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. If the gate is shut, Three Eagles Lakes at 0.7 miles is the nearest alternative. What applies at Pilgrim Lakes may have changed since it was mapped.