Rainbow Lake Fishing Guide, Lincoln County, Montana

• Overview

  Look for Rainbow Lake in Lincoln County, Montana. Height above sea level is 3,337 feet. It covers about 19 acres, so this is small water you can walk round in under an hour. The nearest town is Libby, 30 miles away. Further out sit Thompson Falls (34 miles) and Kalispell (39 miles). Local rules may differ a few miles either side of here.

• Where to Fish on Rainbow Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Lincoln County: rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, brook trout and northern pike. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. On Rainbow Lake that means starting tight and working out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Seasonal averages run from 23°F in January up to 63°F in August. Cold locks it up for a good stretch each year. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about late March. The lid tends to go about late March and return around late November. Fish feed hardest at the start and the close of the open season. On Rainbow Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. There is a mapped slipway roughly half a mile away. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Local rules can differ across the county line, so check where you stand. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. Rainbow Lake sits 0.4 miles off and takes the overflow. Treat access at Rainbow Lake as something to verify.