Fishing Square Lake in Mineral County, Montana

• Overview

  Look for Square Lake in the Mineral County part of Montana. The water sits 5,659 feet up. Small at around 12 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Thompson Falls at 23 miles is the nearest place to stop. Then Plains, 26 miles, and Osburn, 34 miles. Close by you also have: Hazel Lake near enough 0.7 miles, Hub Lake just 1.1 miles, Clear Lake near enough 2.3 miles, Rudie Lake just 3.1 miles and Crystal Lake near enough 3.7 miles. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Square Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Records held for Mineral County cover rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, Arctic grayling, brook trout and california golden trout. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. On Square Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 21°F in January up to 58°F in August. Seasons are distinct, and each one fishes differently. Count the season from break-up, usually late April. Averages place the thaw at late April and the freeze at late November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. On Square Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. A landowner's word beats anything printed elsewhere. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. Should this one be busy, Hazel Lake is 0.7 miles off. Treat access at Square Lake as something to verify.