Fishing Beckwourth Lake in Stillwater County, Montana

• Overview

  This water sits in Stillwater County, Montana. Height above sea level is 9,213 feet. The water measures roughly 7 acres, so nothing here is far from anything else. Nearest place of any size is Absarokee, 31 miles away. For a city, Billings is 78 miles off. Others close at hand: Nugget Lake at 0.4 miles, Frenco Lake near enough 0.6 miles, Brown Lake at 1.1 miles, Eedica Lake near enough 1.5 miles and Memidgi Lake at 1.6 miles. It sits well inside the county, so one set of rules covers it.

• Where to Fish on Beckwourth Lake

  Depth is not on record here, which means reading the ground instead. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. Reported across Stillwater County: rainbow trout, california golden trout, brown trout, brook trout and black crappie. Take it as the county picture rather than a promise for this water. The shape of Beckwourth Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Typical August readings run about 49°F; by January the average is down near 14°F. A hard winter is normal, and the thaw brings a strong few weeks. The lid usually sets by midwinter and gives way around early June. Open water usually runs from early June until about early November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. The season on Beckwourth Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Public sources are silent on who controls the bank. Nothing is listed nearby for parking or launching a boat. Trout here take small spinners, spoons and, where fly water allows, a nymph or dry. Check locally before you travel, because a wasted drive is a long one. Keep proof of licence with you rather than in the car. Nugget Lake at 0.4 miles is the sensible second choice. What applies at Beckwourth Lake may have changed since it was mapped.