Sky Top Lakes Fishing Guide, Park County, Montana

• Overview

  Park County in Montana is where Sky Top Lakes sits. It sits in pine and birch. Small at around 15 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Compared with other Montana water on our list, it sits high. Red Lodge is the closest place, 28 miles off. Then Absarokee, 32 miles, and Columbus, 44 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Sky Top Lakes

  There is no published depth for this one, so start shallow and work out. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Park County cover rainbow trout, brook trout, california golden trout and brown trout. These are county-wide records, so not all of them will be in this water. Take Sky Top Lakes a stretch at a time.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 47°F; by January the average is down near 13°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around mid June. In an average year the thaw lands around mid June and the freeze near late October. Late spring and early autumn carry the year between them. That shapes the year on Sky Top Lakes.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Rough Lake, 1.2 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Treat access at Sky Top Lakes as something to verify.