Upper Riddell Lake in Lake County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  You will find Upper Riddell Lake in Lake County, Montana. Elevation runs to 7,300 feet. Surface area runs to about 5 acres — small enough to read in one session. On size it sits at the modest end of our Lake County list. Some 19 miles away sits Seeley Lake, the nearest settlement. The nearest city of size is Spokane, 168 miles away. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Upper Riddell Lake

  No published figure covers depth, so learn it as you fish. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Fish documented in Lake County include rainbow trout, sockeye salmon and smallmouth bass. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Anyone new to Upper Riddell Lake should walk it once before setting up.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect August near 55°F and December near 17°F on the long-run figures. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough mid May. Averages place the thaw at mid May and the freeze at mid November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. It holds true on Upper Riddell Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  The rules here are undocumented as far as public sources go. Mapping records no facilities at all near this water. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Failing this one, try Lower Riddell Lake, 0.4 miles away. Nothing on Upper Riddell Lake should be assumed from this page alone.