Vinal Lake in Lincoln County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Vinal Lake sits in Lincoln County, out in Montana. It sits in pine and birch country. Surface area runs to about 15 acres — small enough to read in one session. By elevation it sits in the lower part of our Montana listings. You are 28 miles from Eureka. Beyond it, Bonners Ferry at 32 miles and Libby at 32 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Vinal Lake

  Our records carry no depth, so judge it from the bank. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Read the surface for the wind lane, then fish the edge of it. Fish documented in Lincoln County include rainbow trout, sockeye salmon, brook trout, northern pike and largemouth bass. At least one recorded species is protected in parts of its range; read the local rules before targeting anything. Treat Vinal Lake as a water to read rather than to cover.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Temperature averages peak at 61°F in August and bottom out at 20°F in January. Four clear seasons, with a proper winter at one end. Ice-out usually falls in early April, and the weeks after it fish hardest. The water is typically free of ice between early April and late November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. It holds true on Vinal Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access is not recorded for this water. There is no mapped parking or launch close by, which usually means walking in. For the bass here, soft plastics worked slow along cover and a spinnerbait for searching do most of the work. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Signs go up and come down, so check on the day. Failing this one, try Hoskins Lake, 2.7 miles away. For Vinal Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.