Twin Lakes near Bonner-West Riverside: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Twin Lakes belongs to Missoula County, Montana. The country here is rolling bush. At 11 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. The nearest town is Bonner-West Riverside, 9.3 miles away. East Missoula is 9.7 miles and Missoula 10 miles. No county line comes close, which keeps the paperwork simple.

• Where to Fish on Twin Lakes

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Across Missoula County, recorded fish include rainbow trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout, northern pike and sockeye salmon. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. On Twin Lakes that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The range across the year is 18°F to 56°F. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about early May. Averages place the thaw at early May and the freeze at mid November. The first weeks of open water and the last are the ones to plan for. The season on Twin Lakes rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public data does not answer the access question here. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Where a permit is needed, the nearest town usually sells it. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. McKinley Lake sits 0.6 miles off and takes the overflow. Confirm before you fish Twin Lakes.