Salmonids (trout, salamon, whitefish) are illegal as bait. For lake trout fishing, a 150-meter line is enough. Here's some links if you want to download a whole group. Since many of the fish are still spawning during June, sight fishing is the preferred method on Trout Lake. Flathead Lake specifically offers excellent lake trout fishing opportunities. Leadagators, Trilobites, Nordics, Crippled Herring, Kastmasters, and Buzz Bombs will all work. macs and go to 5″ or larger bodies if you just want big fish. © 2019 Flathead Lake Montana - All rights reserved. Yellowstone River. To work, the lure has to be skipping on the bottom. Flathead’s lake trout number in the hundreds of thousands but they are not native to these waters. Deep cold water lakes and reservoir with some rocky bottom and on abundance of forage fish. Georgetown Lake Fishing. White, chartreuse, and glo-in-the dark are popular colors. Hebgen Lake arguably offers the best dry fly lake fishing in Montana. They also allow you to fish with fairly light gear since the line releases from the heavy downrigger cable and ball when a fish hits. Being such a large lake, along with its location on a high plateau near Yellowstone National Park, creates windy conditions at times. The species was first documented in Yellowstone Lake in 1994. When learning how to catch lake trout, it’s important to know that they prefer light lures so consider stocking up on small spinners and spoons. Don’t harass the spawning trout though, as stiff fines and penalties can be levied against anyone caught fishing on the inlet or cove. The clear rivers and streams are fed by runoff from the breathtaking Rocky Mountains, an ideal environment for trout and salmon. Identify which Fishing District you will be fishing (Eastern, Central, or Western). These same fish aren't that sophisticated because of the lack of flies they have seen. A narrow, sometimes indistinct, white anterior border is present on the pectoral, pelvic and anal fins. One of the top lake trout fishing tips is knowing the best lake trout jigging lures to use. Licensed Montana fishing guide Matt Sunderman guides out of Hell Creek State Park, 26 miles north of Jordan, and works the fish-rich reaches of the lake from Gilbert Creek on the east to Timber Creek and the Narrows on the west. This species is a glacial relic in Montana known from native (never-stocked) populations occurring in Waterton Lake, Glenns Lake, Cosley Lake, and St. Mary Lake in Glacier National Park and Lower St. Mary Lake on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, as well as a couple of small populations in the upper Missouri River basin. Fishing Trout Lake. You can download select species by searching or when you're on a Taxa page like Class, Order, and Family. Anglers are allowed six lines each on Peck, so tip ups can be staged in multiple depths in different locations. test line will work. Fishing charters have been popular with vacationers and local residents – click pic for more! Its quality fly fishing, combined with its scenic and convenient location near West Yellowstone, make Hebgen Lake a popular destination for both local and visiting anglers. T-50 Flatfish are the most popular although the smaller M-2’s also work. If you are new to fishing then you need to know that bait is the lure that you use to attract fish to your line. We advise beginners to go for pre-rigged lines. If you think the fish are there, try different lures and colors and vary your techniques. Twister” style bodies are effective and inexpensive. new location. Grab your tackle, let's Go!! Spawning Trout, Otters and Coyotes Abound If you can get to Trout Lake in mid-June at the start of the fishing season, the cutthroat and rainbow spawning runs on the inlet stream are an awe-inspiring sight. A fish finder helps locate likely spots and may locate schools of bait fish or lake trout but lake trout can hold so tight to the bottom most fish finders won’t show them. This section covers popular lakes located in the valleys and lower elevations of Montana. Luckily, though, you’re close to some of the best fly fishing in Montana when you’re visiting Flathead Lake: Swan River and Yellowstone River, where you have the chance to catch some rainbow trout and cutthroat trout, and northern pike. Fishing for lake trout in Colorado's high country, rod in hand jigging for giant trout! or larger spoons such as Krocodiles in silver/red or gold/red or minnow-imitation plugs such as Rebels or Rapalas in black/silver, black/gold or fluorescent orange. Read the Standard Regulations that apply to all waters in that District. This used to be the main method to fish for lake trout and its still one of the best ways to catch big trout but it’s physically demanding and requires some expertise. Leadhead jigs with plastic “grub” or “Mr. It’s some of the best fishing on the entire lake. Whether you’re spinning, baitcasting or fly fishing … No parental care. Early spring fishing brings lake trout out of deeper waters and closer to the shore in search of food, which makes for excellent trout fishing opportunities along the lakeshore. Downriggers will cost $100-$500 but they allow you to fish at precise depths and into very deep water. The Lake Trout is a char of the same genus as Bull Trout and Brook Trout. In fall, there's the fabulous elk, mule deer and antelope hunting of the Missouri Breaks area. Lake trout up to 5 pounds eat lots of Mysis shrimp and can be delicious fried, baked, barbecued, or smoked. Lake trout are native to northern North America, with their historic range determined primarily by the extent and dynamics of the Pleistocene glaciations. Small Lake Trout feed on plankton and aquatic invertebrates but fish over 2 to 3 pounds eat a fish diet. This method requires a heavier rod with a roller tip, and a large reel such as a Penn 49L with 1,000 feet or more of single strand or braided steel line in 20-40 lb. Most often, you run flashers and squids at depths of … to 2 oz. They spawn in the fall on the rocky substrate of the shoreline. Generally look for steep to moderately sloping bottoms with lots of rubble. If you are interested in catching a trophy Lake Trout and trout fishing Montana, Jeff Rach’s Flathead Lake Charters is the outfit to help you succeed. The potential for wind, combined with the lakes large size, makes m… Tie a short leader off the bottom swivel to a banana sinker (2-12 oz.). The fishing on Flathead Lake this summer has been some of the best we have seen in years. Trout Lake will fish best early in the summer. (Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version), (Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts), Montana Natural Heritage Program and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, http://FieldGuide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=AFCHA05050. Lake Trout are a major game fish in much of Canada and were at one time a staple of the Great Lakes fishery. lakers and over 100′ deep for larger lake trout but expect lots of mixing of sizes. You can stillfish cutbait (fish) or worms on the bottom or cast 1/4 oz. The genetic uniqueness and significance of Montana's native lake trout populations to the post-glacial distribution of the species mandate that these remnant native populations be conserved. Lake trout are generally easy to catch but they move a lot and action can turn on and off. Macs over 10 pounds are very oily (see the consumption guide for eating lake trout included in this brochure). Small Lake Trout feed on plankton and aquatic invertebrates but fish over 2 to 3 pounds eat a … There are plenty of Trout species you can catch in Montana – Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Bull Trout, and Lake Trout. Native Montana Populations are found within the Big Hole and Red Rock Drainages and the Hudson Bay Drainages of Glacier Park. Georgetown Lake is one of Montana’s premier blue ribbon fisheries offering nearly year round angling for trophy rainbow and brook trout and kokanee salmon. American Society of Icthyologists and Herpetologists, FishMT - Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Montana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Natural Heritage MapViewer (Statewide Database of Animal Observations), Web Search Engines for Articles on "Lake Trout", Additional Sources of Information Related to "Fish". We have experienced great spring fishing for Lakers, transitioned to Lake Whitefish in mid-summer, and in between, Kokanee, and Cutthroat, big Yellow Perch and even a Bull Trout or two. Use an 8″ or larger dodger. Begin your lake search below. boat speed and vary the distance back from the downrigger release. Fish Waters That Receive Spawning Runs Some of the largest brown trout in Montana reside in large reservoirs most of the season and are largely inaccessible to fly fisherman for most of the year. Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) are native to Canada, Alaska, the Great Lakes, New England, and parts of Montana. This is particularly good as lakers move deeper in summer. Lake trout were intentionally stocked in Lewis and Shoshone lakes in 1890 by the U.S. You’ll lose lures so use inexpensive ones. Lake Trout are a highly-prized food fish in Canada and are catching on as a game fish in Montana with the advent of downriggers, electronic fish finders, and other specialized techniques. This is a trip for the strong intermediate or advanced fly fisher. Look up the specific water you will be fishing to see if it is listed as an exception to the Standard Regulations. Trophy Lake Trout, Walleye and Northern Pike are caught almost every day. These fish are best targeted by fishing bait suspended deep from a boat or plying the shorelines and rock points with lures and flies early and late season. Big Sky Country is brimming with wonderful spots for fishing. medium-tackle, bottom fishing, downrigger. You’ll increase bites if you tip the jig with a piece of fish (sucker, Norther pike minnow, or perch) or use scents. The Native Lake trout is currently ranked "S2" in Montana because it is at risk due to very limited and/or potentially declining population numbers, range and/or habitat, making it vulnerable to extirpation in the state. Lake trout can be distinguished from other chars by their deeply forked tail, (Click legend blocks to view individual ranges), Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database. Whereas lake trout can be found in cold rivers and shallow lakes in the northern portion of its range (Scott and Crossman 1973), in Montana native lake trout inhabit a few relatively deep, cold lakes remaining from the Pleistocene glaciations. Use similar sizes and colors in Kwikfish. Generally fish 30′-100′ deep for smaller (2-5 lb.) Deep, cold lakes and reservoirs (Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks 2003). The selection of bait depends upon the type of fish you plan to target. If you’re not catching fish and can’t see them on the finder move to a
Generally look for steep to moderately sloping bottoms with lots of rubble. Diving Planers are tied inline 4-6 feet ahead of the lure. The Mid-lake Bar from Angel Point to Cedar Island, Mac Alley south of Wildhorse, and flats near any major points can be good spots.]. Spring finds Matt chasing big lake trout on Fort Peck. Set the hook hard when you feel a tap or jerk. Lake Trout inhabit very deep, cold lakes, living in water up to 200 feet deep. Efforts to re-establish native lake trout populations have generally not met management goals. Flathead lake is a wonderful destination for Lake Trout and Cutthroat Trout, as well as yellow perch and increasingly popular whitefish. The mainline ties to one swivel with a 4′-6′ leader off the opposite swivel to a lure. White, chartreuse or green, light blue, or glow are popular colors. The most common downrigger lure is a squid and dodger or flasher although a variety of lures can be used. 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