Little Bear Lake in Gallatin County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  Little Bear Lake is one of the Gallatin County listings for Montana. Lake country bush runs right down to the water. Small enough that any disturbance crosses the whole surface. It is a small entry by Gallatin County standards. Four Corners lies 12 miles from the water. It is 129 miles to Billings, the nearest city. One jurisdiction covers this water end to end.

• Where to Fish on Little Bear Lake

  Depth is not on record here, so the bank has to tell you. On a natural lake the weed line and the shelf beyond it do the work. The shallow end warms first and pulls fish in ahead of the rest. Reported across Gallatin County: rainbow trout, brown trout, brook trout, mountain whitefish and black-spotted cutthroat trout. The county figures include rivers and lakes alike. Read Little Bear Lake for ten minutes before the first cast goes out.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Expect July near 57°F and January near 19°F on the long-run figures. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Hard water holds through the cold months, breaking up near early May. The lid tends to go about early May and return around mid November. Fishing peaks soon after break-up and again before the cold returns. It holds true on Little Bear Lake more years than not.

• Tackle & Baits

  Access status is simply unknown for this water. Formal access is not mapped, so the last stretch is likely on foot. Light line and small metal for the trout; a fly rod earns its place on calm evenings. Gates get locked out of season on water like this. Where parking is tight, arriving early solves most problems. Big Bear Lake, 2.3 miles away, makes the obvious fallback. For Little Bear Lake, the notice at the access point is the final word.