Fishing Echo Lake in Carbon County, Montana

• Overview

  You will find Echo Lake in Carbon County, Montana. It sits at 9,941 feet above sea level. It covers about 14 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. Compared with other Montana water on our list, it sits high. Nearest place of any size is Red Lodge, 21 miles away. Then Absarokee, 38 miles, and Cody, 41 miles. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Echo Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. This is a lake, so the margins and the first drop matter most. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Carbon County records list rainbow trout, brook trout, sauger and walleye among the fish reported. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. Echo Lake gives up more to patience than to distance.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Climate records put August near 49°F and January near 14°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around early June. On the long-run averages the water opens up around early June and starts locking again about early November. June through September is the settled part of the year, with the shoulders busier for fish. It sets the rhythm of the year at Echo Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No launch point is recorded nearby, so this is a bank water unless you carry a boat in. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. The nearest alternative is Becker Lake, 0.6 miles out. Check the position on Echo Lake before loading the car.