Wileys Slough, Montana: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Look for Wileys Slough in Flathead County, Montana. It stands 2,897 feet above sea level. It measures about 143 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. The edge covers about 4.3 miles, enough to hold several distinct areas. On our Flathead County list it sits near the top for size. Somers is the closest town at 2.8 miles. Lethbridge sits 126 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Wileys Slough

  No figure exists for depth, so let the water show you. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Records held for Flathead County cover rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, largemouth bass, brook trout and yellow perch. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. At Wileys Slough light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 65°F on average, January about 24°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late March. Climate averages put the opening at about late March and the closing near early December. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. Wileys Slough fishes to that pattern most years.

• Tackle & Baits

  We hold no note on access for this one. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Access can change hands, so last year's answer may not hold. Church Slough, 1.8 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Wileys Slough in what we hold.