Bear Lake Fishing Guide, Beaverhead County, Montana

• Overview

  Montana holds Bear Lake, in Beaverhead County. The surface lies 7,608 feet up. At 20 acres it is the sort of place you fish for an evening rather than a day. With about 1.4 miles of edge, you can try several depths in one session. Dillon sits 36 miles from here and is the nearest stop. After that come Salmon at 39 miles and Anaconda at 45 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Bear Lake

  No depth figure appears in our records, so the bank has to tell you. Still water like this holds fish on the edges rather than out in the open. Weed, then depth: that is the order to fish a water of this kind. Beaverhead County records list rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout and cutthroat trout among the fish reported. Species recorded across the county may be limited to a few waters. On Bear Lake a short move beats a long cast.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July to average close to 53°F, with December the cold end at about 18°F. Winter shuts the surface down for months. Ice fishing carries the winter, and the water opens about mid May. Average temperatures cross freezing around mid May in spring and again near early November in autumn. The middle of summer slows a little, with dawn and dusk carrying it. Expect Bear Lake to follow that timing.

• Tackle & Baits

  Ownership and access are not documented in what we hold. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Access points are not mapped for this water, which suits people who like quiet. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Sort the permit out before you load the car. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. For a change of water, Stewart Lake is 1.6 miles distant. Nothing on Bear Lake should be assumed from this page alone.