Granite Lake Fishing Guide, Park County, Montana

• Overview

  The Park County entry here is Granite Lake, in Montana. Height above sea level is 8,632 feet. It measures some 293 acres, and wind has room to build across it. The perimeter runs near 5.2 miles, so plan the walk before you start. By surface area it heads our Park County listings. Red Lodge at 25 miles is the nearest place to stop. For a city, Billings is 79 miles off. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Granite Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. County-wide records name rainbow trout, brook trout, california golden trout and brown trout. Records at county level tell you what is around, not what is stocked here. At Granite Lake the first feature you find is worth twenty minutes.

• Seasonal Patterns

  July runs about 55°F on average, January about 17°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. Look for the thaw near early May; the fishing lifts straight after. Averages suggest open water from about early May through to roughly mid November. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Granite Lake runs to that rhythm year in and year out.

• Tackle & Baits

  The access position is unclear from public sources. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. We find no slipway, car park or made path within a short radius, so treat access as rough. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Burnt Bacon Lake, 1.5 miles away. Nothing on Granite Lake should be assumed from this page alone.