Bear Lake (Beaverhead) Depth Map & Fishing Spots (MT)

Hatch outlook

Grasshoppers (east-side summer)Active window

Typical here: Jul 1 – Oct 15 · until the hard frosts of mid-October; on the Missouri, August hoppers fish mid-river, not the banks

adultall day in high summer, best when afternoon wind knocks bugs onto the water

Pulls fish to the windward grassy banks and edges for months — fish the bank the wind blows ONTO.

The friendliest crossover of the summer: on lakes, drift the windward bank with a bubble-and-foam-hopper — the bubble's splash doesn't hurt a hopper presentation. On rivers, the same rig dead-drifted along the undercut grass banks, or small gold spinners under the banks between rises.

The event happens over grassy banks, undercut edges and windward shorelines

Spruce MothActive window

Typical here: Jul 20 – Aug 31 · a conifer-forest event — it needs fir and lodgepole on the banks, so it's a Rock Creek / Blackfoot / upper Bitterroot specialty

adultmorning through midday — moths don't enter the water willingly — landings are sporadic and near the conifer banks; fish the imitation LOW in the film with minimal floatant, even fully drowned, with a little movement

When the moths show, just about every run produces — large trout key on them so hard that one pattern carries the whole box for two weeks.

Honest limit: a small drowned-surface moth has no lure analog. The workable rig is a casting bubble with a drowned moth pattern along the timbered banks in the morning; otherwise fish spinners early and late and leave the moth window to the film.

2–3 weeks at best, and day-to-day — fish key on the moths when they show and vanish with them

The event happens over banks under conifers — the moths rarely reach mid-river

Recommendations come from depth structure and seasonal species behavior. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee. Contours here are interpolated from real agency depth surveys (state DNR / USACE). Never use for navigation. Always check local regulations.

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Recent catches at Bear Lake (Beaverhead)

Shared by DepthScout anglers. Exact spots stay private, always.

No shared catches here yet — be the first.Log a catch from the map above and share it to put Bear Lake (Beaverhead) on the board.

Fishing Bear Lake (Beaverhead): what the data says

17-acre lake in Beaverhead County, 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.

The drawn water covers 20 acres wrapped in 1.5 miles of bank. A development index of 2.4 means a maze of bays and points: far more casting targets than a round bowl of the same size. 79% of the surface is littoral (under ~15 ft) — cover, weeds and forage water. The basin spans about 0.4 mi end to end and 0.2 mi across at its widest. It sits in Beaverhead County. Baldy Lake sits 7 mi north — the closest neighbouring chart.

Brook Trout fishing at Bear Lake (Beaverhead)

Come spring, look for brook trout tight to the bank in 2 to 15 ft. Expect a summer slide to 6 to 20 ft, then a winter hold in 3 to 20 ft. Start at Deep basin. It's a deep basin holding about 20 ft of water and rates prime come summer. Prime time lands in early morning and the evening. A small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm is the honest summer answer here.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	2 to 15 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (5 ft)	Small inline spinner (gold), Tiny spoon
Summer	6 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (20 ft)	Small spoon fished deep, Trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm
Fall	2 to 15 ft	midday & dawn	Main-lake point (5 ft)	Small spoon (orange), Spinner
Winter	3 to 20 ft	dawn	Deep basin (20 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Notable structure

Bear Lake (Beaverhead) carries 5 mapped structure features, topping out (or rather bottoming out) at Deep basin, about 20 ft down.

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

Bear Lake (Beaverhead) fishing regulations

Season dates, license requirements, and size and bag limits for Montana waters are set by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks — and special regulations can apply to Bear Lake (Beaverhead) specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Bear Lake (Beaverhead)?

Bear Lake (Beaverhead) is about 20 ft (6 m) deep 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 brook trout on Bear Lake (Beaverhead).

Where is the best fishing spot on Bear Lake (Beaverhead)?

Deep basin is the top-rated area: a deep basin in about 20 ft of water that rates prime for brook trout in summer. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Bear Lake (Beaverhead)?

For brook 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.

What are the fishing regulations for Bear Lake (Beaverhead)?

Fishing on Bear Lake (Beaverhead) is regulated by the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Check the official Montana regulations for current license requirements, season dates, and size and bag limits — special regulations can apply to this specific water.

Nearby waters

Baldy Lake 7 mi · Sand Lake 8 mi · Lily Lake (Beaverhead) 9 mi · Sawtooth Lake 12 mi · Tendoy Lake 14 mi · Minneopa Lake 16 mi · Deerhead Lake 17 mi · Rainbow Lake (Beaverhead) 18 mi · Kelly Reservioir 19 mi · Lake Agnes 19 mi · Lower Miner Lakes 20 mi · Brownes Lake 21 mi

See how Bear Lake (Beaverhead) stacks up: best brook trout lakes in Montana

More water nearby: Beaverhead County fishing maps (24 charts). Browse all Montana fishing maps or see every water on DepthScout. Bathymetry credit: state fisheries survey programs. How we build these maps. Fish here with a sonar unit that logs? Send us your depth data and we'll improve this chart, credited to you. For fishing guidance only, never navigation.