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Montana · Fishing
Lincoln, Montana sits in a broad mountain valley along the Blackfoot River corridor, and the fishing around town leans heavily on a mix of small alpine lakes and accessible river stretches.
7 spotsUpdated dailyFree to access
View on mapFishing · 7 spots
Lincoln, Montana sits in a broad mountain valley along the Blackfoot River corridor, and the fishing around town leans heavily on a mix of small alpine lakes and accessible river stretches. The listings here cover lake fishing at Heart Lake, Two Point Lake, Twin Lakes, and Bighorn Lake, plus river fishing tied to spots like the Cummings Cabin area and the Aspen Grove Group Use Area within the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. That spread means you can reasonably fish moving water in the morning and reach a quiet lake by early afternoon without burning most of your day driving. The lakes in this area tend to hold cutthroat and brook trout at elevation, while the river stretches around Lincoln follow the Blackfoot drainage, which has a meaningful history of restoration work and supports wild trout populations. Crowds are light compared to more famous Montana destinations, but that also means less infrastructure — don't expect boat launches or fish-cleaning stations at every spot. A Montana fishing license is required for anyone 12 and older, and some waters on National Forest land carry their own access considerations worth checking before you go.
The listings cover both lake fishing and river fishing. Lake options include Heart Lake, Two Point Lake, Twin Lakes, and Bighorn Lake. River fishing is available at the Cummings Cabin area and the Aspen Grove Group Use Area, both of which sit within the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest.
The lakes in this part of Montana typically hold cutthroat and brook trout. The river stretches near Lincoln are part of the Blackfoot drainage, which supports wild trout. The supplied listings do not designate any of these waters as gold medal or wild trout water specifically, so manage expectations accordingly — good fishing, not trophy-hunting territory.
Aspen Grove Group Use Area (Helena-Lewis and Clark NF, MT)
~17 min drive
A worthwhile stop near MT.
White Sandy Campground
~1h 14m drive
A worthwhile stop near MT.
Heart Lake
~4 min drive
A worthwhile stop near MT.
Missouri River at Holter Dam
~56 min drive
Moderate
Cummings Cabin
~19 min drive
A worthwhile stop near MT.
Devil's Elbow Campground
~1h 22m drive
A worthwhile stop near MT.
Heart Lake
~4 min drive
A worthwhile stop near MT.
Holter Lake Campground
~54 min drive
A worthwhile stop near MT.
Clark's Bay Day Use Area Shelter
~1h 23m drive
A worthwhile stop near MT.
Two Point Lake
~9 min drive
A worthwhile stop near MT.
Moose Creek Cabin
~1h 16m drive
A worthwhile stop near MT.
River Point Picnic Area
~1h 18m drive
A worthwhile stop near MT.
Late June through September is the most reliable window. Runoff from snowmelt can keep river flows high and murky into early June, and some of the higher-elevation lakes may still have ice into late May. Fall fishing in September and early October can be excellent as trout feed aggressively before winter, and angling pressure drops sharply after Labor Day.
Early morning and evening are consistently the most productive times, especially on the lakes where surface activity is easier to read. On river stretches like Aspen Grove and Cummings Cabin, midday can still produce during overcast conditions or during a hatch, but the first two hours after sunrise are hard to beat in summer.
A valid Montana fishing license is required for anglers 12 and older. The Aspen Grove Group Use Area is a designated group site within the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, so if you are planning a larger group outing, check with the Lincoln Ranger District about reservation requirements. Individual day use for fishing is generally open, but it is worth confirming current conditions and any fire or access restrictions before heading out.
