Ramona Lake in Madison County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Ramona Lake lies in Madison County, in Montana. The water sits 9,072 feet up. About 9 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. West Yellowstone is the closest town at 23 miles. Big Sky is 26 miles away, with Four Corners at 53 miles. In the same area: Speck Lake within 0.3 miles, Avalanche Lake lies 1.5 miles on, Lake Eglise within 1.8 miles, Gnome Lake lies 1.9 miles on and Painted Lake within 1.9 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Ramona Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Public occurrence data for Madison County names rainbow trout, brown trout, mountain whitefish and brook trout. County records show the wider picture rather than this one place. On Ramona Lake the obvious spot is not always the productive one.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 56°F and January near 14°F on the long-run figures. Winter shuts things down for a spell, then spring reopens them fast. The lid usually goes in mid May, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Open water usually runs from mid May until about mid November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. That is the shape of the year on Ramona Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No access rule appears in what we hold. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Speck Lake sits 0.3 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish Ramona Lake.