Sunlight Lake, Montana: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Meagher County in Montana is where Sunlight Lake sits. The bank is 8,930 feet above sea level. At roughly 8 acres, the whole thing is within casting reach of a single walk. Big Timber sits 28 miles from the bank. Livingston is 32 miles and Bozeman 43 miles. Water in the same corner: Dead Horse Lakes a touch under 1 mile, Campfire Lake at about 2.9 miles, Moose Lake a touch under 2.9 miles, Diamond Lake at about 3.6 miles and Cave Lake a touch under 4.2 miles. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Sunlight Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. 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. Fish documented in Meagher County include rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout and white sucker. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. Read Sunlight Lake before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 18°F in December to roughly 54°F in August. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid May. Climate averages put the opening at about mid May and the closing near mid November. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. The season on Sunlight Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. Public mapping records no formal access here, so plan for a walk and soft ground. A small crankbait along the drop and a worm in the thick stuff cover the bass. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. For a change of water, Dead Horse Lakes is 1 mile distant. Check the current arrangement for Sunlight Lake.