West Side Reservoir in Silver Bow County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Silver Bow County, Montana, is where West Side Reservoir sits. Elevation runs to 5,988 feet. Surface area runs to about 3 acres — small enough to read in one session. Butte is the closest place, 1.6 miles off. For a city, Billings is 196 miles off. Nearest other option: Moulton Reservoir Number One 5 miles, B and B Fishpond within 7.1 miles, Maney Lake 9.8 miles, Homestake Lake within 10 miles and Whitetail Reservoir 14 miles. It sits near the edge of the county, so check which rules apply.

• Where to Fish on West Side Reservoir

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. Built water gives depth close in, which suits a bank angler. Fish documented in Silver Bow County include brook trout, longnose sucker, cutthroat trout, Arctic grayling and rainbow trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At West Side Reservoir the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 62°F in July and bottom out at 19°F in January. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Count the season from break-up, usually mid April. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid April in spring and again near late November in autumn. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. Expect West Side Reservoir to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Big Butte Lower Parking Lot holds the nearest mapped parking, half a mile out. Facilities run to toilets half a mile from the water. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Moulton Reservoir Number One, 5 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For West Side Reservoir, the notice at the access point is the final word.