Eli Lake, Montana: Fishing Spots and Seasons

• Overview

  Eli Lake is listed under Lincoln County, Montana. The surroundings are lake country bush. The whole thing is a single swim; walk it in a minute. On size it sits at the modest end of our Lincoln County list. Libby sits 32 miles from here and is the nearest stop. Thompson Falls follows at 33 miles, then Kalispell at 38 miles. The boundary is close enough to be worth checking before you fish.

• Where to Fish on Eli Lake

  Depth here is unknown, so count the lead down before committing. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Public occurrence data for Lincoln County names rainbow trout, sockeye salmon and brook trout. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. On Eli Lake the quiet end is the one worth the extra effort.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Between January at about 23°F and August at about 63°F, the water has a wide range to work through. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late March. The water is typically free of ice between late March and late November. The strongest runs come at either end of the open season. The season on Eli Lake rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. Access is unmapped, which usually means a farm track and a walk. Bass water: a Texas-rigged worm near cover, a spinnerbait when you need to cover ground. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Failing this one, try Upper Thompson Lake, 0.9 miles away. None of that is settled for Eli Lake in what we hold.