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Fishing Bear Lake (Beaverhead): what the data says
17-acre lake near Montana. The lake tops out around 20 ft. The depth chart is built from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the humps, channels and drop-offs you see are measured, not guessed. Below is the species-by-species picture, pulled from the same data the map uses.
Rainbow Trout fishing at Bear Lake (Beaverhead)
In spring, rainbow trout run shallow here, mostly 5 to 20 ft. Summer fish stay in 5 to 20 ft, and winter fish hold in 4 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Break off the point, a drop-off in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. A dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon covers the summer program.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon |
| Summer | 5 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals |
| Winter | 4 to 20 ft | dawn | Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white) |
Yellow Perch fishing at Bear Lake (Beaverhead)
Spring yellow perch on Bear Lake (Beaverhead) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 20 ft. The spot to know is Shallow bay flat, a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning. Summer baits: a drop-shot micro plastics or a small spoon tipped with worm gets it done.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | midday & dawn | Small jig + curly tail, Perch-pattern micro crank |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn | Drop-shot micro plastics, Small spoon tipped with worm |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Jigging spoon (small), Perch rig / spreader |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Tungsten jig + spikes, Rattle spoon (small) |
Smallmouth Bass fishing at Bear Lake (Beaverhead)
Spring smallmouth bass on Bear Lake (Beaverhead) hold shallow, usually 3 to 12 ft. By summer they slide out to 6 to 20 ft, and by winter most fish are in 6 to 20 ft. Break off the point is the standout, a drop-off at roughly 15 ft, rated prime for winter smallmouth bass. In summer the feeding windows fall in early morning and the evening. Tie on a drop shot (goby/minnow) or a ned rig and you're in the game.
| Season | Depth | Best window | Go-to baits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | 3 to 12 ft | dawn & dusk | Ned rig, Tube jig |
| Summer | 6 to 20 ft | dawn & dusk | Drop shot (goby/minnow), Ned rig |
| Fall | 6 to 20 ft | midday & dawn | Jerkbait, Blade bait |
| Winter | 6 to 20 ft | midday | Blade bait, Hair jig |
Notable structure
- Deep basin: deep basin, around 20 ft
- Break off the point: drop-off, around 15 ft
- Main-lake point: point, around 5 ft
- Shallow bay flat: weed flat, around 3 ft
- Back-bay flat: weed flat, around 2 ft
Common questions
How deep is Bear Lake (Beaverhead)?
Bear Lake (Beaverhead) is about 20 ft at its deepest point. The depth chart here comes from real state fisheries GPS surveys, so the contours reflect measured depths.
What fish are in Bear Lake (Beaverhead)?
Anglers target smallmouth bass, rainbow trout, yellow perch on Bear Lake (Beaverhead).
Where is the best fishing spot on Bear Lake (Beaverhead)?
Shallow bay flat is the top-rated area: a weed flat in about 3 ft of water that rates prime for yellow perch in spring. Open the map above to see every rated spot for each species and season.
When is the best time to fish Bear Lake (Beaverhead)?
For rainbow trout, the summer bite is best in early morning and the evening. Each species page section below lists the seasonal windows, and the map shows a live NOW badge when you're inside one.
Nearby waters
Baldy Lake · Sand Lake · Lily Lake (Beaverhead) · Sawtooth Lake · Tendoy Lake · Minneopa Lake
See how Bear Lake (Beaverhead) stacks up: best smallmouth bass lakes in Montana · best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · best yellow perch lakes in Montana
Browse all Montana fishing maps or every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.