Fishing at Brownes Lake, Beaverhead County, Montana

• Overview

  Brownes Lake stands in Beaverhead County, Montana. It stands 6,562 feet above sea level. The water covers some 37 acres, so pick a bank rather than trying to cover it all. The bank runs about 1.0 miles all the way round, so one visit can cover most of it. Size puts it in the front rank of our Beaverhead County list. For supplies, Dillon is 23 miles out. It is 209 miles to Billings, the nearest city. The nearest edge is a long way off, so local rules apply throughout.

• Where to Fish on Brownes Lake

  Depth is unmeasured here, so let the shoreline guide you. 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. Beaverhead County records list rainbow trout, brook trout, brown trout and cutthroat trout among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Brownes Lake responds to conditions more than to tactics.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 58°F and January near 21°F on the long-run figures. A solid cap is the normal state through winter. The open season starts with the thaw, near enough early May. On average, early May opens the water and mid November closes it again. The weeks after the thaw and the ones before the freeze are the strongest. On Brownes Lake that shapes the whole year.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. There is a mapped slipway roughly half a mile away. A campsite lies half a mile away for anyone staying over. Mapping records toilets within half a mile. Where access is informal, keep it that way by behaving. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Lake Agnes at 1.3 miles is the sensible second choice. Signs at Brownes Lake carry more weight than any list.