Willow Creek Reservoir Fishing in Madison County, Montana

• Overview

  Willow Creek Reservoir falls in Madison County, part of Montana. It stands 4,751 feet above sea level. It measures some 1,323 acres, and wind has room to build across it. It is among the larger waters listed here for Madison County. Three Forks is the closest town at 14 miles. After that come Manhattan at 21 miles and Whitehall at 21 miles. The county edge is within a short distance of the bank.

• Where to Fish on Willow Creek Reservoir

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. Rip-rap along the wall holds fish that the open bank never does. A reservoir gives you a hard edge, a shelf, and not much else. Records held for Madison County cover rainbow trout, brown trout, mountain whitefish, brook trout and california golden trout. County data is a starting point rather than a guarantee. On Willow Creek Reservoir the first feature you find is usually worth a session.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 25°F to 67°F. Fishing here follows the temperature more than the calendar. Winter fishing happens on the ice here, with open water back around late March. Average temperatures cross freezing around late March in spring and again near early December in autumn. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. Anyone fishing Willow Creek Reservoir regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  The paperwork position is blank for this one. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Close seasons apply to some species and not others. Sureshot Lake, 15 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. None of that is settled for Willow Creek Reservoir in what we hold.