Long Lake near Red Lodge: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  Wyoming holds Long Lake, in Park County. It stands 9,652 feet above sea level. Around 70 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. The full circuit measures close to 1.7 miles on foot. Size puts it in the front rank of our Park County list. The nearest town is Red Lodge, 21 miles away. Billings is the closest city, 76 miles away. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Long Lake

  Nothing we hold settles how deep this runs. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Survey and observation records for Park County include brook trout, rainbow trout, brown trout and cutthroat trout. County records show what lives in the area; the local agency holds the water-by-water list. At Long Lake the water rewards a slow, careful approach.

• Seasonal Patterns

  August runs about 49°F on average, January about 14°F. Expect a real winter and a strong spring after it. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early June. Ice usually gives way near early June, and forms again about early November. Early summer and early autumn carry the open-water season. It sets the rhythm of the year at Long Lake.

• Tackle & Baits

  Who may fish here is not settled in anything we hold. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. There is a car park half a mile from the bank. A toilet block sits half a mile away. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Where tickets apply, they are sold in the nearest town rather than on the bank. Rainbow Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Check the current arrangement for Long Lake.