Skinner Lake in Beaverhead County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Skinner Lake lies in Beaverhead County, in Montana. Country round the bank runs to mixed forest. About 5 acres of surface, which puts the far bank inside easy sight. For supplies, Salmon is 19 miles out. It is 171 miles to Boise, the nearest city. Close neighbours run: Cowbone Lake roughly 3.3 miles, Mud Lake sits 3.5 miles out, Darkhorse Lake roughly 3.6 miles, Swift Lake sits 3.9 miles out and Janhke Lake roughly 4 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Skinner Lake

  There is no recorded depth, so work from what you can see. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Beaverhead County records list rainbow trout, brook trout and brown trout among the fish reported. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. The shape of Skinner Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 54°F in July and bottom out at 19°F in January. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid May. Ice usually gives way near mid May, and forms again about mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. That is the shape of the year on Skinner Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No built facilities appear in mapping around this water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. State or provincial rules still apply whatever the bank status. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Cowbone Lake, 3.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Signs at Skinner Lake carry more weight than any list.