Fishing at Rimrock Lake, Carbon County, Montana

• Overview

  Rimrock Lake is set in Carbon County, Montana. Height above sea level is 7,595 feet. Surface area runs to about 12 acres — small enough to read in one session. Red Lodge at 22 miles is the nearest place to stop. After that come Absarokee at 29 miles and Columbus at 40 miles. Alternatives close at hand: Rainbow Lake sits 0.7 miles out, Lake at Falls within 1.8 miles, Elk Lake sits 1.9 miles out, Elephant Lake within 2 miles and Big Park Lake sits 2.2 miles out. No border sits close enough to matter.

• Where to Fish on Rimrock Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Across Carbon County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, brook trout and sauger. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Rimrock Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put August near 49°F and January near 14°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early June. The open-water window runs from around early June to about early November in an average year. Spring is short and heavy here; autumn is longer and steadier. Rimrock Lake fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Rainbow Lake at 0.7 miles is the sensible second choice. Confirm before you fish Rimrock Lake.