Brownes Lake 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 Brownes Lake

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 Brownes Lake on the board.

Fishing Brownes Lake: what the data says

45-acre lake in Beaverhead County, Montana. The lake tops out around 30 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 37 acres wrapped in 1.5 miles of bank. With a 1.7 development index there's bank structure worth casting at, in moderation. Littoral water — the productive band under ~15 ft — makes up 44% of this chart. Figure 0.5 mi of water from one end to the other, 0.2 mi at the beam. Beaverhead County claims this one. Its nearest charted neighbour, Lake Agnes, is 1 mi to the southwest.

Brook Trout fishing at Brownes Lake

Spring brook trout on Brownes Lake hold shallow, usually 2 to 15 ft. They move out to 10 to 30 ft in summer and finish the year down in 3 to 20 ft. Put Deep basin first on the milk run — a deep basin near 29 ft that grades prime for summer. The feeding windows run early morning and the evening. The summer box starts with a small spoon fished deep or a trolled lake-clear wobbler + worm.

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	10 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Deep basin (29 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	Break off the point (15 ft)	Small jigging spoon, Tungsten jig + plastic

Rainbow Trout fishing at Brownes Lake

Early season rainbow trout use the shallows, holding in 5 to 20 ft. Summer is an 8 to 30 ft game here, winter a 6 to 30 ft one. The chart's best answer is Break off the point — drop-off, 15 ft, prime for winter. Best bite is early morning and the evening. Tie on a dodger + spoon (deep troll) or a flutter spoon and you're in the game.

Season	Depth	Best window	Start at	Go-to baits
Spring	5 to 20 ft	dawn & dusk	Main-lake point (5 ft)	Inline spinner (silver), Small spoon
Summer	8 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Break off the point (15 ft)	Dodger + spoon (deep troll), Flutter spoon
Fall	9 to 30 ft	dawn & dusk	Secondary point (13 ft)	Casting spoon, Jerkbait over shoals
Winter	6 to 30 ft	dawn	Break off the point (15 ft)	Jigging spoon, Tube jig (white)

Notable structure

4 pieces of structure are mapped here — Deep basin, around 29 ft, is the deepest of them.

Deep basin: deep basin, around 29 ft
Break off the point: drop-off, around 15 ft
Secondary point: point, around 13 ft
Main-lake point: point, around 5 ft

Public access & boat ramps

Boat launch — ramp

Access data: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) — community-mapped launches. Confirm conditions and fees locally before you launch.

Brownes Lake 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 Brownes Lake specifically, so confirm the current rules before you fish.

Check the official Montana fishing regulations →

Common questions

How deep is Brownes Lake?

Brownes Lake is about 30 ft (9 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 Brownes Lake?

Anglers target brook trout, rainbow trout on Brownes Lake.

Where is the best fishing spot on Brownes Lake?

Break off the point is the top-rated area: a drop-off in about 15 ft of water that rates prime for rainbow trout in winter. Every other rated spot, per species and season, is on the map above.

When is the best time to fish Brownes Lake?

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 Brownes Lake?

Fishing on Brownes Lake 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

Lake Agnes 1 mi · Rainbow Lake (Beaverhead) 3 mi · Tendoy Lake 7 mi · Deerhead Lake 8 mi · Minneopa Lake 12 mi · Sawtooth Lake 12 mi · Kelly Reservioir 15 mi · Beaverhead River 20 mi · Bear Lake (Beaverhead) 21 mi · Baldy Lake 22 mi · Sand Lake 23 mi · Lily Lake (Beaverhead) 25 mi

See how Brownes Lake stacks up: best rainbow trout lakes in Montana · 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.