Shelter Lake Fishing in Park County, Montana

• Overview

  Shelter Lake is one of the Park County listings for Montana. The setting is mixed forest. About 5 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. It is high ground by Montana standards. The nearest place of any size is Red Lodge, 29 miles away. Absarokee lies 34 miles off, Columbus another 46 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Shelter Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Reported across Park County: rainbow trout, brook trout, california golden trout and brown trout. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Anyone new to Shelter Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 48°F in August and bottom out at 13°F in January. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid usually goes in mid June, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. The season between ice runs from about mid June to late October. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Shelter Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Nothing in our records says who may fish here. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Lone Elk Lake at 0.4 miles is the sensible second choice. Where Shelter Lake is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.