Top 20 Lakes around Dillon

Dillon Reservoir (Lake Dillon) offers a wide array of water sports. You can enjoy boating, sailing (with lessons and rentals), kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding, and scenic boat tours. Fishing is also popular, with rainbow trout, brown trout, kokanee salmon, and Arctic char found in its waters. Motorized and non-motorized boating are permitted, but personal watercraft like jet skis are prohibited.

Yes, Dillon Reservoir is very family-friendly. The Dillon Dam & bike path is a scenic and peaceful cycle way suitable for all ages. The Frisco Wetlands Bike Path, a flat, paved path at the western lakeside, is also excellent for families. Additionally, the Dillon Amphitheater hosts free summer concerts, and lakeside picnic areas are available.

An 18-mile (29 km) paved path circles Dillon Reservoir, perfect for biking, walking, and running. You can also explore numerous hiking trails like Sapphire Point Overlook, Old Dillon Reservoir Trail, and Ptarmigan Trail, which offer stunning views. For a unique experience, the Dillon Dam & bike path provides amazing mountain views and opportunities to watch boats from the marina.

Clark Canyon Reservoir near Dillon, Montana, is notable for its historical significance as the site of Camp Fortunate along the Lewis and Clark Trail. Here, Sacagawea was reunited with her people, the Lemhi Shoshoni Tribe. An interpretive site provides information about this event. Beyond history, it offers boating, fishing for rainbow and brown trout, camping, and wildlife viewing along the Cattail Marsh nature trail.

While swimming is generally not permitted in Dillon Reservoir (Lake Dillon) due to its status as a water supply, you can swim in other nearby lakes. For example, Lily Pad Lake, a small alpine lake in the Eagles Nest Wilderness, is a great spot for swimming when the weather is warm enough.

Yes, Lily Pad Lake is considered a hidden gem, tucked away in the Eagles Nest Wilderness, offering a quieter experience than more popular lake trails. The Ophir Mountain Trail System also provides a sense of nature just at the edge of Frisco, with intertwining trails that are less frequented than others in the area.

Beyond water sports, the area offers extensive outdoor activities. You can find numerous running trails, mountain biking routes, and hiking paths. For instance, explore running trails like Meadow and Ridge Trail Loop, or mountain bike routes such as Ptarmigan Loop Trail. Easy hikes like Upper Salt Lick are also available. You can find more details on these activities in the Running Trails around Dillon, MTB Trails around Dillon, and Easy hikes around Dillon guides.

The lakes around Dillon offer year-round recreation. Summer is ideal for water sports, hiking, and attending events like concerts at the Dillon Amphitheater. In winter, activities shift to ice fishing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and fat biking on the frozen lake. The magical ice castles in Dillon are a notable winter attraction.

Beyond Clark Canyon Reservoir, the Dillon, Montana area features several other lakes. Brownes Lake is known for rainbow trout fishing. Reservoir Lake, in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, is a high-elevation, non-motorized lake suitable for hiking and fishing. Other mountain lakes like Hollowtop Lake, Lake Louise, Elk Lake, and Breneman Lake offer diverse hiking and fishing opportunities, with Elk Lake being unique for its native Lake Trout.

Around Clark Canyon Reservoir in Montana, the Cattail Marsh nature trail is excellent for wildlife watching, especially seasonal waterfowl. White-tailed and mule deer, antelope, and moose can also be seen in the surrounding areas. While not explicitly detailed for Dillon Reservoir, the natural settings often attract various bird species and smaller mammals.

Visitors particularly enjoy the scenic beauty and the variety of activities. The Dillon Dam and Reservoir is a popular spot for its expansive views of the reservoir and surrounding mountains. The peaceful bike paths, like the Dillon Dam & bike path, are also highly appreciated for their stunning mountain scenery and opportunities to watch boats.