Finley Lakes Fishing Guide, Missoula County, Montana

• Overview

  Finley Lakes is a Missoula County water, in Montana. The setting is lake country bush. This is a pocket water of some 5 acres, and every part of it is reachable from the bank. It is a small entry by Missoula County standards. For a base, Frenchtown sits 13 miles out. For a city, Spokane is 167 miles off. Others worth noting: Sanders Lake 1.3 miles, Glacier Lake 2.1 miles away, Little Lake 2.3 miles, Big Lake 2.9 miles away and Sheridan Lake 3 miles. The nearest boundary is a fair way off.

• Where to Fish on Finley Lakes

  Open data we checked carries no depth for this water. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. County-wide records name rainbow trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout and northern pike. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. At Finley Lakes light and wind decide more than tackle does.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 56°F; by December the average is down near 19°F. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. After early May the shallows warm and the fish move up. From about early May to around mid November, expect open water on the long-run figures. Look to early summer and the first cool weeks of autumn. Time your trip to Finley Lakes by conditions rather than dates.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Rules for this water may differ from the county norm. Barbless rules turn up on managed water more often than not. The nearest alternative is Sanders Lake, 1.3 miles out. Where Finley Lakes is concerned, a local answer beats a written one.