Fishing Salmon Lake in Powell County, Montana

• Overview

  Powell County, Montana, is where Salmon Lake sits. Country round the bank runs to mixed forest. The water covers around 632 acres, which puts most of it out of reach from the bank. Shoreline length is close to 8.4 miles, and each section fishes a little differently. Of the waters listed here in Powell County, this is the largest. You are 7 miles from Seeley Lake. Lethbridge sits 182 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Rules can differ a short way off, since the county line is near.

• Where to Fish on Salmon Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Powell County include rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout and northern pike. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. The near bank of Salmon Lake is often the one people ignore.

• Seasonal Patterns

  On the long-term average, August reads 61°F and January reads 20°F. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Hard cover is dependable here; it goes around mid April. The water is typically free of ice between mid April and late November. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Salmon Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  No public source sets out the position on this bank. You can launch from a ramp around half a mile away. Parking is mapped about half a mile from the bank. A platform or pier sits within half a mile. There is camping recorded roughly half a mile off. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Big Sky Lake sits 1.4 miles off and takes the overflow. For Salmon Lake in particular, ask before you travel.