Jones Lake Fishing in Powell County, Montana

• Overview

  Look for Jones Lake in Powell County, Montana. This is mixed forest ground. With some 74 acres of water, there is room for a boat but no need of one. The bank runs about 1.8 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. On our Powell County list it sits near the top for size. Supplies mean a trip to Seeley Lake, 19 miles off. Beyond it, Lincoln at 23 miles and Clinton at 33 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Jones Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. County-wide records name rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, northern pike and largemouth bass. Several of these carry legal protection or closed seasons; the rulebook comes before the rod. Treat Jones Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The year swings from about 19°F in January to roughly 63°F in August. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Once it clears, about early April, the fishing comes on quickly. On average, early April opens the water and late November closes it again. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. Anyone fishing Jones Lake regularly works to that calendar.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. It formed naturally, so levels move with rainfall rather than with a gate. No made access is recorded, so a short walk in is the likely arrangement. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Look for a notice board at the entrance. Fishing rules and camping rules are set separately here. Lahrity Lake sits 2.4 miles off and takes the overflow. None of that is settled for Jones Lake in what we hold.