Fishing Sunken Rock Lake in Park County, Montana

• Overview

  Sunken Rock Lake sits in Park County, out in Montana. The setting is rolling bush on every side. It covers about 14 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Compared with other Montana water on our list, it sits high. Nearest town is Livingston, 37 miles off. The big place round here is Billings, 86 miles distant. The county line is nowhere near, so one local authority covers the water.

• Where to Fish on Sunken Rock Lake

  No depth figure has reached our records, which makes a plummet useful. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Species logged across Park County include rainbow trout, brook trout, california golden trout, brown trout and black-spotted cutthroat trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Fish Sunken Rock Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 50°F and January at 13°F. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early June. Climate averages put the opening at about early June and the closing near early November. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. On Sunken Rock Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Absaroka–Beartooth Wilderness takes in this water; protected-area rules will apply. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Martes Lake, 0.4 miles away. Check the current arrangement for Sunken Rock Lake.