Twin Lakes Fishing near Whitehall, Montana

• Overview

  This water sits in Madison County, Montana. The water sits 8,278 feet up. The water covers some 43 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. Roughly 1.1 miles of bank means you can walk to a fresh area when one goes quiet. It ranks high for size among our Madison County listings. You are 26 miles from Whitehall. The nearest city of size is Billings, 167 miles away. Rules here are straightforward: one county, one set of rules.

• Where to Fish on Twin Lakes

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Public occurrence data for Madison County names rainbow trout, brown trout, mountain whitefish, brook trout and california golden trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Twin Lakes fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 18°F to 53°F. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Break-up comes around late May, and the run that follows is short and strong. Averages place the thaw at late May and the freeze at mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. It sets the rhythm of the year at Twin Lakes.

• Tackle & Baits

  There is no clear statement anywhere on who can fish it. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. For a change of water, Mine Lake is 0.9 miles distant. Confirm before you fish Twin Lakes.