Silver Tarn near Red Lodge: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Set in Carbon County, Montana, this is Silver Tarn. Around the bank it is lake country bush. Surface area runs to about 9 acres — small enough to read in one session. By elevation it is in the upper part of our Montana listings. The closest town, Red Lodge, is 19 miles away. Absarokee is 34 miles and Columbus 44 miles. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Silver Tarn

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name rainbow trout, brook trout and sauger. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. On Silver Tarn the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August near 47°F and January near 13°F on the long-run figures. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Count the season from break-up, usually mid June. Break-up near mid June, freeze-up near late October: that is the shape of an average year. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. Keep it in mind when planning a trip to Silver Tarn.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No slipway, car park or made path shows up nearby in mapping, so treat access as rough. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Should this one be busy, Two Bits Lake is 0.8 miles off. Where Silver Tarn is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.