Fishing at South Fork Lake, Ravalli County, Montana

• Overview

  Montana holds South Fork Lake, in Ravalli County. The water sits 6,759 feet up. Around 28 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. It is among the larger waters listed here for Ravalli County. Stevensville is the closest place, 14 miles off. For a city, Spokane is 167 miles off. Also within reach: 0.6 miles away is Pearl Lake, Bear Lake 1.3 miles away, 2.1 miles away is Bryan Lake, Maud Lake 2.3 miles away and 2.4 miles away is White Sand Lake. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on South Fork Lake

  We hold no depth figure for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Records held for Ravalli County cover rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, brook trout and brown trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At South Fork Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Average temperature peaks around 55°F in August and bottoms out near 18°F in December. Cold winters and warm summers give a wide working range. Break-up comes around mid May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Open water usually runs from mid May until about mid November. Reckon on open water from spring through to late autumn, with May and June the strongest. It holds true on South Fork Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. If the gate is shut, Pearl Lake at 0.6 miles is the nearest alternative. Confirm access to South Fork Lake locally before you travel.