Brush Lake

Brush Lake State Park encompasses 22 acres around a small, clear lake in Sheridan County near the Canadian border in northeastern Montana. The park preserves a rare natural lake on the northern Great Plains and provides basic recreation.

The lake supports perch and other warm-water species. The surrounding prairie supports sharp-tailed grouse, pronghorn, and white-tailed deer. Migratory waterfowl and shorebirds visit the lake seasonally.

Native mixed-grass prairie surrounds the lake with species including western wheatgrass, needle-and-thread, and blue grama. Cattails and bulrushes fringe portions of the lake. The prairie landscape is largely intact in this sparsely settled region.

Brush Lake is a glacially formed kettle lake, a depression left when a block of glacial ice melted after the last ice age. The clear water and sandy bottom are unusual for the clay-rich northern plains.

Northeastern Montana experiences harsh continental climate with very cold winters and warm summers. Annual precipitation averages about 13 inches. Blizzards and extreme cold are common in winter, while summer brings occasional severe thunderstorms.

The northern Montana plains were home to Assiniboine and other Native peoples. The area was settled by homesteaders in the early 1900s, though the remote location limited development.

Brush Lake State Park was established to preserve this unusual natural lake and provide recreation in one of Montana's most remote and sparsely populated regions.

Swimming in the clear lake is the primary draw. Fishing and picnicking serve visitors. The park's remote setting provides solitude and a chance to experience the vast northern plains.

The park offers basic camping and day-use facilities. It is located about 22 miles north of Plentywood in Sheridan County, near the Canadian border.

The park protects a rare natural lake ecosystem on the northern plains. The intact surrounding prairie provides ecological value in an agricultural landscape.