Bean Lake is a scenic, 200 acre lake lying along the edge of the Rocky Mountain Front near the Scapegoat Wilderness and just a short hop from the Dearborn River.
Access to the lake is excellent. The Bean Lake Fishing Access Site surrounds half the lake. The other half of the lake is private land that has cattle frequently grazing right down to the lakeshore.
During warm, dry summers following low snowpack years, Bean Lake can run low in water due to irrigation demands and the reduction in inflows once spring run-off ends.
The primary fish species in the lake are rainbow trout, which are planted each year by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department.
If you plan to fish Bean Lake, the odds are high you’ll have the lake to yourself. Few people ever bother to visit this remote lake. According to the Montana FWP, Bean Lake typically has fewer than 200 angler days a year. As is typical of many colder reservoirs in Montana, the fish are fairly easy to catch but run on the smaller side. Bean Lake isn’t a place to visit in search of that monster trout to mount on your wall.
The lake is quite isolated, lying about fifteen miles away from the small town of Augusta. To reach the lake from Augusta, go south on the Stearns-Augusta road and then follow the signs to Bean Lake.
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Free camping is found all along the lake, which is good, since the nearest lodging is quite some distance away. A boat ramp exists at the fishing access site, although a pontoon boat or flat water inflatable kayak work well if the winds are not strong.