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.