Stoner Lake, Montana: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Within Missoula County, Montana, you have Stoner Lake. This is mixed forest country. Roughly 31 acres: a morning covers one end, an afternoon the other. For supplies, Ronan is 18 miles out. Lethbridge is the closest city, 160 miles away. Also worth knowing: Loon Lake a shade over 1 mile, Cygnet Lake a touch under 4.4 miles, Notlimah Lake a shade over 4.7 miles, North Hemlock Lake a touch under 5 miles and Lindbergh Lake a shade over 5.3 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Stoner Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. County-wide records name rainbow trout, brook trout and cutthroat trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Stoner Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 22°F and August at about 62°F, the water has a wide range to work through. Spring and autumn carry the fishing; summer and winter test it. Count on hard cover from midwinter, and open water from early April. On average, early April opens the water and late November closes it again. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. Time your trip to Stoner Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. Public data shows nothing built here, so treat the whole approach as informal. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Loon Lake, 1 mile away, makes the obvious fallback. For Stoner Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.