Welcome to Havre. We would like to provide you some information about the community of Havre, as well as what the area has to offer. We can not possibly cover all of the great sights and sounds in this one webpage, therefore we have provided the link to the Havre Chamber of Commerce at the bottom of this page. Feel free to explore their page for additional information.
Havre is a unique community in that it has a fantastic parks and recreation department. The Parks Department works hard to keep the parks in the best condition possible. If you're looking for a place to have a picnic with the family, read a book, plan a wedding, or just play horseshoes, Havre can offer several parks that are spread out through out the community.
The Havre area also has three lakes with in a short driving distance. Fresno Lake is located approximately 12 miles West of Havre on US Highway 2. Fresnol Lake is full of one to two pound walleye. Several walleye are caught every year in the seven to ten pound range. Fresno Lake is also full of perch, crappie, and northern pike. It is not unusual to catch a 20 plus pound northern pike. Fresno Lake also has a few modern campsites that provide restrooms and groomed camping spots. There are also a few beaches along the lakeside that is a great place to take the family for a picnic or for a swim to cool off during the hot summers. During the winter months, Fresno Lake is a great place to try your ice fishing skills out.
The area below Fresno Dam has recently been upgraded to accommidate handi-capped accessible.
Approximately 10 miles south of Havre, the Bear Paw Mountains begin. At the start of the mountains, the Lower "Beaver Creek" Lake is located right off the highway. This lake contains Walleye, Perch, Trout and Northern Pike up to 31 pounds. This is a very deep body of water and fishing is excellent for Trout. During the winter, this lake becomes a floating city riddled with ice houses and winter fisherman. There are camping areas located around the lake and there is a single accessible boat ramp.
ABOVE: a family of Canadian geese move about the shoreline of LowerLake.
RIGHT: a few camping areas located to the south of the dam area.
Continuing south on Beaver Creek Highway approximately 10 miles, the Upper "Bear Paw" Lake is found. This lake is filled with several species of trout. Upper lake also has numerous camping areas that are more secluded. This area is beautiful as the lake is framed by the gorgeous Bear Paw Mountains. This area is also a fly fisherman's paradise. Fishing can be done on the lake, below the dam, and through out Beaver Creek that runs between both lakes.
LEFT: a father teachs his son how to fly fish.
RIGHT: looking south over the upper lake.
The Havre area also has fantastic hunting opportunities. Hunts include, Whitetail deer, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Antelope, Ring Necked Pheasants, Sage and Sharptailed Grouse, Hungarian Partridge just to name a few species. Visit the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks website for fishing and hunting regulations. Havre is located on the west end of Region 6 and offers great hunting oppotunities.
(PHOTO COURTESY OF HILL COUNTY DEPUTY JASON GEER)
If you enjoy riding ATV's and exploring the area, Havre also has a few areas where you can explore the beautiful badlands. These trails allow you to ride right along Fresno Lake. These trails are great for a new rider or an experienced rider. As you can see, Sgt. Aaron Wittmer found that the water was a little too deep!
The Havre Police Department is also very active in supporting Special Olympics Montana. In early 2006, the police department spearheaded the largest fund raiser for SOMT in the Havre area. The police department hosted the Sub-Zero Super Hero Polar Plunge. Jumpers volunteer to jump into a tank of freezing cold water to raise donations for developmentally disabled athletes. The event has raised a total of nearly $47,000 in only the first three years. For more information visit SOMT for more information.