Top Bass Lakes in Montana
It is no secret to
my friends and colleagues that I favor bass more than any other species for my
angling adventures. This fact is often baffling for most other fisherman I talk
to because, like most of the country, when they think of Montana they see blue
ribbon trout streams and trophy walleye lakes.
Now while it is true that there aren’t many waters in the state
which hold bass that doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. They’re often hard to
find, yes, but they are there and far more numerous than most seasoned
Montanans would expect.
So, for all of
those of you who keep asking me, here is my personal list of the top bass
fishing waters in Montana.
1): Fort Peck
Reservoir.
Yes, yes, get the
noggin scratching out of the way. While most of you may think of this enormous
prairie reservoir as the state’s walleye fishing gem, which it is don’t get me
wrong, it is also the best lake on either side of the divide to catch a trophy
bass, bar none. Every time I go I always love to ask the other fisherman (invariably
walleye anglers) how the bass fishing is and every time they always give me the
same bit about how weird it was that they caught several bass that day as they
were trolling for walleye. Of course they throw them back, thank god, but still
it astounds me how many three, four and five pound fish there are in this
reservoir and how no one seems to notice the potential. And before anyone says
a four pound fish is small for walleye, I’d like to see you try to tell me the
train-like run of a smallmouth bass isn’t twice as rewarding as catching an 8
pound, sock-like walleye. All prejudice aside, though, this lake is an absolute
goldmine and if you haven’t fished here yet you are missing out.
2): Noxon Rapids
Reservoir
This is the bass fishing lake in Montana. There
are more bass fishing tournaments held here than in any other lake in the
state. This is because this lake is perfectly suited for both large and
smallmouth bass. Rocks, grass, depth changes, ample food supply, everything is
there. The problem, however, is that the lake has a tendency to under produce. Don’t
get me wrong, this lake can churn out some big fish; but more often than not
you get a handful of fish under fourteen inches and busted prop from striking a
stump on one of the innumerable flats. It is indeed a double edged sword.
3): Echo Lake
Now I have to admit that this is probably one of my favorite lakes
in the state. It has it all, unique aquatic biomes, ample food, wide open
spaces and very few pike to cause the bass much trouble. Every time I go to
this lake I can easily make a five fish limit of over fifteen pounds. That being
said though there is one immense drawback to fishing here. Wake Boats. Echo Lake
is by no means a big lake being made out of many interconnecting pools. This
means that when a ski or wake boat goes by you get the full brunt of their
wake. On more than one occasion I've seen small craft and kayaks capsize due to
an overzealous wake boat captain. So yeah, big waves and big bass, danger and
fun. Explore at your own risk.
Honorable Mentions:
There are numerous other bass waters in this state and while they
may not produce like the above lakes they can still sate that bass fishing bug
just as easily. Just a short list I’ve been to includes; Clark Canyon
reservoir, Flathead River sloughs, Lake Upsata, the Muscle Shell River, Tongue
River Reservoir, and the Lower Yellowstone River.
If you have any questions or would just like to point something
out please feel free to shoot me a comment.
