Fishing at Princess Lake, Carbon County, Montana

• Overview

  Princess Lake is one of the Carbon County waters in Montana. It sits in lake country bush. At 20 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. Red Lodge is the closest town at 28 miles. Absarokee follows at 29 miles, then Columbus at 41 miles. Near neighbours: Cold Lake roughly 0.4 miles, Snowball Lakes at 0.6 miles, Huckleberry Lake roughly 0.9 miles, Avalanche Lake at 1.1 miles and Island Lake roughly 1.7 miles. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Princess Lake

  The records we hold are silent on depth, so plan to find it yourself. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Across Carbon County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, brook trout, sauger and walleye. Read it as a county summary, not a water-by-water list. Read Princess Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 48°F and January at 15°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early June. Averages place the thaw at early June and the freeze at late October. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. That shapes the year on Princess Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No car park, ramp or path is recorded within easy reach of the shore. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Failing this one, try Cold Lake, 0.4 miles away. Confirm access to Princess Lake locally before you travel.