Tom Poole Lake in Lincoln County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Tom Poole Lake lies in Lincoln County, in Montana. What surrounds it is lake country bush. Small at around 7 acres: two anglers spread out cover most of it. On size it sits at the modest end of our Lincoln County list. The closest town, Libby, is 14 miles distant. Spokane sits 106 miles out, and it is the nearest city worth the name. There is no boundary nearby to worry about.

• Where to Fish on Tom Poole Lake

  Depth is unknown to us, and the shoreline is the better guide. Where the bottom changes texture, fish gather; find that line. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Reported across Lincoln County: rainbow trout, sockeye salmon and brook trout. Some of the species recorded here are protected or tightly regulated, so check what may be targeted before you fish. Tom Poole Lake fishes better once you know its edges.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The seasonal spread runs 21°F to 60°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Break-up comes around early April, and the run that follows is short and strong. In an average year the thaw lands around early April and the freeze near late November. From the thaw to midsummer the fishing improves week by week. On Tom Poole Lake the same rules apply, with local timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether you may fish here is not something records settle. The map shows no ramp or car park nearby, so this is a walk-in water. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Check whether a boat is allowed before you tow one. Some stretches are reserved and marked as such on the ground. The nearest alternative is Loon Lake, 3.4 miles out. Rules at Tom Poole Lake are worth checking on the day.