Fishing Lower Saint Mary Lake

AKA: Lower St Mary Lake

Popular Fish Species
Lower Saint Mary Lake Fishing Video
Available Fish Species
Amenities
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Boat Launch Ramps
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Lower Saint Mary Lake, MT

Popular Fish Species Lower Saint Mary Lake, MT

Lower Saint Mary Lake Popular Fish - Brook Trout

Brook Trout Fishing

Brook trout thrive in cool, clear, well-oxygenated water. Fishing for brook trout in Lower Saint Mary Lake is popular due to the abundance and size of these tasty brookies. Brookies are most actively feeding at dawn, and again at dusk. Brook trout feed on plankton, worms, leeches, insects, mollusks, and small baitfish. They spawn in the Fall, rather than the Spring, and they are quite prolific spawners. Other times they tend to move deeper and are more difficult to locate. When the lake freezes over, ice fishing for brook trout is a fun way to spend a winter day. Brook trout can be easily caught on minnows, flies, small spinners, worms, maggots and wax worms.

Lower Saint Mary Lake Popular Fish - Lake Torut

Lake Trout Fishing

Year round, fishing for lake trout in Lower Saint Mary Lake is often quite good and the fish are plentiful. When the lake freezes over, ice fishing for big lake trout with spoons can deliver some great catches. These large trout prefer water below 60 degrees, however they can be caught from as shallow as 15 to 30 feet in Spring and Fall, to as deep as 150 feet or more during Summer and Winter. It is a monumental assistance to use fish finders, or other electronics to help in locating these roaming schools of lake trout. They feed on baitfish and other small fish, so jigs rigged to imitate their prey often work well straight down under the boat. Trolling with numerous set-ups can also produce good catches.

Lower Saint Mary Lake Popular Fish - Northern Pike

Northern Pike Fishing

Plenty of northern pike are thriving in the cool waters of Lower Saint Mary Lake. April and May are the best months of the year for northern pike fishing here. They are extremely active when feeding and they can catch and eat pretty much any food source in the lake. Northerns are very agile and powerful, plus they have big mouths with very sharp teeth. Summer can be spotty but pike are caught all through the summer. Fall can also be good sometimes stretching into September. Large, flashy lures that mimic the bait they prey upon are great lures for northerns. Trolling along weed edges can often entice strikes. When the lake has safe ice in winter, ice fishing for northern pike can be quite thrilling. Use GPS to locate spots you normally find northern pike holding during summer. Portable fish finders can also be a big help. Throughout the season, effective lures include spoons, spinners, and crankbaits, particularly those with bright colors or metallic finishes to attract the pike's attention. Additionally, big flies, soft plastic swimbaits and jerkbaits can be successful, especially when retrieved erratically to mimic wounded prey.

Lower Saint Mary Lake Fishing Video

Fish species to fish for...

Guide to fishing for rainbow trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout, lake trout and northern pike at Lower Saint Mary Lake in Montana.

Rugged beauty is a good definition of Lower Saint Mary Lake, It is a 2,170-acre lake in the northwest part of the state, 5 miles south of Babb. There are about 15 miles of shoreline, all pretty as a picture.

Despite the attention given to its natural beauty, the real draw here is great fishing for rainbow trout, brook trout, cutthroat trout, lake trout and northern pike. This cold, clear water is loaded with trout and northern pike. Visitors are welcomed by campgrounds, RV hookups, bait, restaurants, and a store at Chewing Black Bones Campground. The lake receives little fishing pressure creating good fishing for both quantity and quality.

Primary fish species residing in Lower Saint Mary Lake

Click images for fishing tips and details about each species.

Lower Saint Mary Lake Amenities

Marina: NO
Boat Rental: NO
Boat Launch Ramp: YES
Campgrounds: YES
RV Hookups: YES
Lodging: NEARBY
Convenience Store: YES
Bait & Tackle: YES
Restaurant: YES

Today's Weather & Forecast

Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings

Lower Saint Mary Lake Boat Launch Ramp
Located in the northeast section of the lake, off US Highway 89, this is a two-lane, concrete ramp with a dock and paved parking.