Big Cherry Lake near Libby: Fishing Spots, Seasons and Access

• Overview

  You will find Big Cherry Lake in Sanders County, Montana. The bank gives way to pine and birch. Small at around 5 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. Head to Libby, 16 miles away, for anything you forgot. Spokane sits 88 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. Within a short run: Tahoka Lake about 0.7 miles, Martin Lake after 1.1 miles, Snowshoe Lakes about 2.4 miles, Little Ibex Lake after 3.4 miles and Leigh Lake about 3.5 miles. This one is safely inside the county line.

• Where to Fish on Big Cherry Lake

  We hold no survey for this water; read the slope of the shoreline instead. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Survey and observation records for Sanders County include rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and northern pike. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. The shape of Big Cherry Lake rewards a slow walk along one bank.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 56°F; by December the average is down near 18°F. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The freeze runs deep into the year, with break-up near early May. In an average year the thaw lands around early May and the freeze near mid November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Big Cherry Lake runs to its own calendar within the local pattern.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. The water borders Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, so reserve rules are likely to apply. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Read any posted signs at the access point rather than assuming. Some water is controlled locally without a sign saying so. Tahoka Lake, 0.7 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. Confirm access to Big Cherry Lake locally before you travel.