Sagebrush Reservoir in Phillips County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Sagebrush Reservoir is a Phillips County water, in Montana. The setting is rolling bush on every side. This is a pocket water of some 5 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. On size it sits at the modest end of our Phillips County list. Malta at 52 miles is the nearest place to stop. The nearest city of size is Billings, 133 miles away. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Sagebrush Reservoir

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The arms fish better than the open middle whenever the water is up. Held water runs deepest at the wall and shallows back to the inflow. Records held for Phillips County cover black crappie, northern pike, rainbow trout and walleye. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. On Sagebrush Reservoir a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate normals give 69°F for July and 18°F for January. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around late March. The water is typically free of ice between late March and late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Plan around that when you fish Sagebrush Reservoir.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Private Reservoir, 7.3 miles away. Where Sagebrush Reservoir is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.