Shay Lake fishing

Fishing at Shay Lake has Rainbow Trout, Arctic Grayling, and Mountain Whitefish on the stocking report. It is stocked about 0.9 times a year since 2011, most often in June and July. Species guides list dawn and dusk as the active times.

Last stocked

June 24, 2025

Plants on record

14

Since 2011

Species recorded

1

Average size

3.9 in

Elevation

3,474.4 ft

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How Shay Lake is stocked

The first plant of the year usually falls in the fourth week of June. In 2025 it was June 24, 2025, about when it usually is.

No plants recorded in 2012.

Van Lake (3.2 mi) was stocked more recently. Van Lake is also stocked with Rainbow Trout.

Fish at Shay Lake

Fishing Shay Lake is most likely to be for Rainbow Trout. All 14 plants on record are Rainbow Trout.

Around the dates Shay Lake is stocked, Open-Meteo's 2016-2025 archive puts mean air temperature at 59.6°F in June, 69.2°F in July, 39.9°F in April, 58.4°F in September. That is air temperature at these coordinates, not water temperature. Open-Meteo

Rainbow Trout 14 plants
Plants
14 of 14
Last stocked
June 24, 2025
Average length
3.9 in

Seasons and rigs are on the Rainbow Trout guide.

Fish stocked per year

  • 1,0092011
  • 1,2002013
  • 1,0002014
  • 1,1002015
  • 2,0402016
  • 2,0002017
  • 2,0002018
  • 2,0002019
  • 2,0002020
  • 1,9982021
  • 2,1982022
  • 2,0032023
  • 2,0132024
  • 2,0242025

Stocking history

Source: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
Date Species Quantity Avg. length Source
June 24, 2025 Rainbow Trout 2,024 3.7 in report
June 27, 2024 Rainbow Trout 2,013 3.96 in report
June 30, 2023 Rainbow Trout 2,003 3.83 in report
June 30, 2022 Rainbow Trout 2,198 3.75 in report
June 3, 2021 Rainbow Trout 1,998 3.28 in report
July 14, 2020 Rainbow Trout 2,000 4.08 in report
June 24, 2019 Rainbow Trout 2,000 3.33 in report
June 12, 2018 Rainbow Trout 2,000 3.8 in report
June 22, 2017 Rainbow Trout 2,000 4.07 in report
September 26, 2016 Rainbow Trout 2,040 4.97 in report
April 29, 2015 Rainbow Trout 1,100 3.73 in report
June 19, 2014 Rainbow Trout 1,000 4.28 in report
June 18, 2013 Rainbow Trout 1,200 3.88 in report
July 19, 2011 Rainbow Trout 1,009 4.35 in report

Species found here

Confirmed present independent of the stocking records above, not from a stocking event.

  • Arctic Grayling : Native species present per Montana FWP's FishMT waterbody database; not a species FWP stocks here. (source)
  • Mountain Whitefish : Native species present per Montana FWP's FishMT waterbody database; not a species FWP stocks here. (source)

Species stocked here

Depth-by-season, top lures, and bait notes for each species stocked here are on its own species guide, linked above.

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