Van Houten Lake Fishing near Salmon, Montana

• Overview

  You will find Van Houten Lake in Beaverhead County, Montana. The bank is 7,021 feet above sea level. The water measures roughly 11 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. You are 21 miles from Salmon. Dillon follows at 41 miles, then Challis at 63 miles. Nearby alternatives: Blanchard Pond 2.5 miles away, Mud Lake a shade over 4.4 miles, Skinner Lake 5.2 miles away, Janhke Lake a shade over 6.6 miles and Pioneer Lake 6.8 miles away. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Van Houten Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. Beaverhead County records list rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout and cutthroat trout among the fish reported. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Van Houten Lake repays a walk before the first cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 19°F in January and 54°F in July. Hard water is a season in its own right here. Firm cover through the cold months, then open water from mid May. In an average year the thaw lands around mid May and the freeze near mid November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. Time your trip to Van Houten Lake by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Failing this one, try Blanchard Pond, 2.5 miles away. Ask locally about Van Houten Lake if anything is unclear.