Fishing at Round Lake, Teton County, Montana

• Overview

  Round Lake is one of the Teton County waters in Montana. The water sits 3,740 feet up. Surface area runs to about 24 acres — small enough to read in one session. Most waters listed here for Teton County are larger. The closest town, Choteau, is 13 miles distant. Lethbridge is the closest city, 124 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Round Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Reported across Teton County: rainbow trout, yellow perch, northern pike, sockeye salmon and common carp. Protected fish appear in the records for this area, so treat the list as information, not an invitation. Treat Round Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Long-term averages put July at about 67°F and January near 24°F. The season turns properly here, and fish follow it closely. Break-up comes around late March, and the run that follows is short and strong. In an average year the thaw lands around late March and the freeze near early December. The open run goes from the thaw to the freeze, and April through October covers most of it. At Round Lake the season follows that pattern closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. If the gate is shut, Middle Lake at 0.4 miles is the nearest alternative. Rules at Round Lake are worth checking on the day.