Montana Lakes

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Pick a lake between Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park and ready yourself for more fishing than you can possibly imagine.  Between the two parks, this site divides into six sections: Northwest, Western, Rocky Mountain Front, Upper Missouri River, Southwestern and the Yellowstone River Drainage. Below is a partial list of popular fishing lakes in Montana separated by region.  Those lakes that are not linked are work in progress.


Montana's Popular Fishing Lakes by Region


Northwestern Montana


map_region_NW.gifWe will begin in the Northwest corner of the state working eastward to the Rocky Mountain Front on the eastern boundry of Glacier National Park, and than southwards towards Missoula, Montana, as mapped in the Montana Atlas & Gazetteer. Sections 81, 82,83; 80,66,67, 68.



Fishing Lakes from Troy to Libby to Eureka

Lake Koocanusa


Lakes Between Whitefish, Montana on Highway 93 to Eureka, Montana

Talley Lake, Beaver Lakes, Martin Lake, Upper Whitefish Lake, Red Meadow Lake, Lagoni Lake, Bull Lake and Stryker Lake (Fish Lake), Dickey Lake, Murphy Lake, Ten Lakes Scenic Area


Columbia Falls, Montana: Hungry Horse Reservoir


Lakes from Libby, Montana to the Flathead Valley

Thompson Chain of Lakes

Flathead Lake

Fishing on the Flathead Indian Reservation


Lakes in the Seeley-Swan Valley from Seeley Lake, Montana to Big Fork, Montana Along Highway 83

Harper's Lake and Blanchard Lake, Salmon Lake, Placid Lake, Seeley Lake, Morrell Lake and Cottonwood Lake, Lake Inez, Lake Alva, Rainy Lake, Lindbergh Lakes, Holland Lake, Metcalf Lake, Cedar Lake, Jewell Basin Lakes


Lakes within Glacier National Park


Fishing and Hiking in Glacier National Park (general information for planning and safety)


Fishing Along the North Fork Roads

Kintla Lake, Bowman Lake, Akokala Lake and Quartz Lakes


West Glacier Entrance: Fishing Along the Going-to-the-Sun-Road

Lake McDonald, Rogers Lake and Trout Lake, Snyder Lakes, Fish Lake, Avalanche Lake, Hidden Lake, Gunsight Lake, Otokomi Lake


East Entrance: Saint Mary

Saint Mary Lake, Red Eagle Lake, Two Medicine Lake, Pray Lake, Upper Two Medicine Lake, No Name Lake, Oldman Lake, Ptarmigan Lake, Lake Sherriburne, Swiftcurrent Lake, Lake Josephine, Grinnel Lake, Fishercap Lake, Red Rock Lake, Bullhead Lake


East Entrance: Belly River Drainage

Elizabeth Lake, Cosley Lake, Glenns Lake and Mokowanis Lake

 

Western Montana

map_region_western.gifWe will begin at the western edge of the state at St. Regis and move eastward to Missoula and then northeast to Lincoln, and then cover the area south of Missoula, the Bitterroot Valley, as mapped in the Montana Atlas & Gazetteer. Sections 52,53,54; 37,38.)



Lakes Around St. Regis, Montana

Hazel Lake, Moore Lake, Diamond Lake, Cliff Lake


Lakes and Creeks in the Bitterroot River Valley

Baker Lake, Painted Rocks Reservoir, Como Lake, Little Rock Creek Lake, Twin Lakes, Fred Burr Reservoir, Big Creek Lakes,

Peterson Lake


Upper Clark Fork River and Georgetown Lake


Rocky Mountain Front

map_region_rocky.gifThe Rocky Mountain Front stunned the Lewis and Clark Expedition with its looming peaks thrusting up from the plains.  Beginning along the eastern boundary of Glacier National Park southwards to Great Falls and Helena, this is a huge area.  It is not as renown as other sections for famous rivers, but it does offer trophy stillwater fishing in the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and on the dammed impoundments of the Missouri River in the Helena, Montana area. See maps in the Montana Atlas & Gazetteer Sections 84, 69, 56, 40.


Rocky Mountain Front Lakes, Rivers and Creeks

 

Upper Missouri River Drainage

map_region_missouri.gifEssentially, this section covers the impoundments and drainage creeks for the Missouri River from its headwaters at Three Forks north to Townsend, Montana and than northward to Helena, Montana, capital of Montana. 


Dearborn River, Sun River and Teton River plus lakes and creeks


Upper Missouri River Lakes and Creeks

Canyon Ferry Reservoir, Hauser Lake, Upper Holter Lake, Holter Lake, plus creeks

 

Southwestern Montana

map_region_southwestern.gifFrom West to East, we will first cover the Phillipsburg to Anaconda area and the area south, which covers the Big Hole River and the Wise River near the communities of Wisdom.  From here we will move eastward below Butte to cover the Twin Bridges area.  Twin Bridges, Montana is the beginning of the Jefferson River, which is formed by the Beaverhead River, the Wise River and the Ruby River.  The Jefferson River heads north and than eastward to Three Forks, Montana.  It is at Three Forks, Montana that the Missouri River is formed from the Jefferson River, the Madison River and the Gallatin River to finish the Southwestern Montana section.  See maps in the Montana Atlas & Gazetteer Sections 38, 39, 40; 24, 25, 26.


Upper Clark Fork River, Warm Springs Wildlife Management and Georgetown Lake


Big Hole River Access and Lakes


Lakes in the Madison River Area From West Yellowstone to Ennis

Hebgen Lake, Quake Lake, Wade Lake and Cliff Lake, Ennis Lake


Gallatin River Area Lakes: Lava Lake, Rat Lake


Bozeman Area Lakes

Hyalite Reservoir, Heather Lake and Emerald Lake


Yellowstone River Drainage


yrd-map-revised.jpgThe Yellowstone River heads north out of Yellowstone National Park to Livingston, Montana.  From Livingston it heads due East to Billings.  But first let's pick up the two major drainage rivers between Livingston and Laurel, Montana.  Both the Boulder River and the Stillwater River offer great trout fishing, camping and whitewater adventures in the spring.  This entire area offers many wonderful lakes.

 


Lakes in the Stillwater River Drainage (Columbus, Montana)

Emerald Lake and Mystic Lake, East Rosebud Lake, Elk Lake, Rimrock Lake, Rainbow Lake


Lakes within Yellowstone National Park

Blacktail Ponds, Trout Lake, Joffe Lake, Swan Lake, Grizzly Lake, Beaver Lake, Lake of the Woods, Twin Lakes, Wolf Lake, Shoshone Lake, Lewis Lake, Yellowstone Lake