Fishing at Three Bears Lake, Glacier County, Montana

• Overview

  Three Bears Lake stands in Glacier County, Montana. Everything around it is pine and birch. Surface area runs to about 11 acres — small enough to read in one session. It is a small entry by Glacier County standards. For a base, South Browning sits 22 miles out. Lethbridge is the closest city, 98 miles away. A border sits close enough to be relevant to the paperwork.

• Where to Fish on Three Bears Lake

  Depth figures are not published for this one. A natural lake fishes on cover, and cover here means weed and timber. The productive water is a rod length or two out, not a hundred. County-wide records name brook trout, northern pike and longnose sucker. What holds for the county may not hold for this water. The shape of Three Bears Lake decides where the fish sit.

• Seasonal Patterns

  Averages move between 19°F in December and 58°F in August. Winter closes the water for a while, and the reopening is worth catching. The lid arrives early and lasts until roughly late April. Average temperatures cross freezing around late April in spring and again near mid November in autumn. Just after the ice goes and just before it returns, the fishing lifts. Plan any trip to Three Bears Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  Whether the bank is open is not something our records settle. Records show it does not hold water year-round. The closest car park is half a mile away, so pack accordingly. A campsite is mapped about half a mile away, which makes an early start easier. Toilets show in mapping about half a mile away. Bank access can be seasonal on ground like this. Some ground is open by custom rather than by right, so tread carefully. For a change of water, Ole Lake is 3.6 miles distant. Confirm before you fish Three Bears Lake.