Fishing at Poison Lakes, Beaverhead County, Montana

• Overview

  Poison Lakes is a Beaverhead County water, Montana side. It sits in pine and birch. Surface area runs to about 4 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is a small entry by Beaverhead County standards. 29 miles away sits Dillon, the nearest town. For a city, Boise is 184 miles off. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Poison Lakes

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Records held for Beaverhead County cover rainbow trout, brook trout and brown trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Read Poison Lakes before you fish it and the day goes better.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 59°F, with January the cold end at about 20°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. Going by climate averages, expect open water from about late April until roughly late November. September and October fish steadily right up to the freeze. The season on Poison Lakes rarely departs from it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Nothing formal is recorded here: no ramp, no car park, no marked path. For the trout, small spinners and a box of nymphs cover both approaches. Parking is often the real limit rather than the bank itself. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. Should this one be busy, Clark Canyon Reservoir is 8.8 miles off. Check the position on Poison Lakes before loading the car.