Cherry Lakes is a lake in Montana, near Madison County.
Cherry Lakes is a lake in Madison County, Montana.
Use the shape you can see at Cherry Lakes: check the best cover, the first drop, and one open-water line before moving.
Across the clearer side of a shallow saddle, the fish mix here is not confirmed, so check fresh local information before choosing a target or keeping a catch.
Along the outside edge of a channel turn, begin with one slow bottom presentation and one moving bait, then let bites show whether fish are holding close to cover or roaming open water.
Near the soft edge of a small bay, use wind as a clue; a light push can carry food toward a bank, but hard wind may muddy it, so look for a clean edge near a point or protected pocket.
Along the first edge of an inlet turn, early in the year, protected water and the first warm afternoon can be the best clues; as the water heats up, check deeper edges without assuming every fish is on the bottom; cooling fall water often makes points and firm banks useful again.
Beside the shallow side of a narrow arm, a medium spinning rod, 8-pound line, a small box of jigs, a few crankbaits, and a simple bottom rig cover most situations; change depth or speed before changing every piece of tackle.
Beside the inside edge of a steep shoreline, record the wind, water color, depth that produced twice, and cover after a bite; those four notes are more useful on the next trip than a long list of spots that did not produce.
Explore nearby waters, including local Featured destinations. Check each page for access and fishing restrictions.
Distances are straight-line estimates between mapped water locations.