I have fished Montana for over four decades and even have had conversations with legend Bud Lilly. I have fished with the author who completed George Brook’s final book, Rand Oslund. I’ve fished the Gallatin, Madison, Jefferson, Missouri, Big Horn, Smith River, Yellowstone, spring creeks, creeks in Yellowstone National Park and pretty much everywhere in the State, including several high mountain lakes.
Two years ago we moved to Red Lodge, Montana to pursue a Montana real estate development called The Spires at Red Lodge because Red Lodge real estate is still some of the best priced resort real estate anywhere in the entire Rocky Mountain region.
Really going in to great detail and giving you the stories that go with each of these streams isn’t possible in a short article. As my fishing buddy Randy says, “If I told you everything then I’d have to kill you.”
Let’s get on with the fishing. Our little smorgasbord begins right in the middle of town, it’s a walk to fishing trip; no windshield time whatsoever. Rock Creek is a free stone stream and all of the standard stuff works because these fish don’t get worked very hard at all. Go north of town and the fish size increases.
Just a 20 minute drive to the west from The Spires at Red Lodge development along U.S. Highway 78 in Red Lodge is Roscoe, Montana home to the Grizzly Bar. Stop there on the way back from fishing, not on the way up. Go about 4 miles out of Roscoe towards East Rosebud Lake until you cross a wooden bridge. You can park there and walk down, or walk up. Dry flies if they are rising and nymphs and streamers if they aren’t. Streamers will be more successful on cloudy days.
There is a lake called Arch Lake that is a boulder-strewn 2,500 foot plus hot foot (not trail) hike straight up out of the East Rosebud Valley. There are some monstrous cutthroat in this lake many of them don’t see an artificial fly or lure more than once every few years.
Further down the road to the northwest is also some great fishing. If you’ve got a raft or a kick boat you are going to love the Stillwater River. It is a great April/May and then mid July through October, fishing river and has much less pressure than Montana’s western rivers.
Another good lake in April and May is Newton down in Cody, Wyoming. I’ve caught some 5 pound plus browns and bows in here on little size 18 and 20 drys. It is a blast. If they are rising try a parachute adams. If not try a leech or a bugger stripped nice and slow.
In one hour and one-half you can be at one of Montana’s most legendary tailwaters - The Bighorn River. Thirty fish days with a couple of fish over 20 inches are not unusual here and the only people that think it is crowded are those of us whiners who have fished it forever and live here in Montana.
A lot of the high mountain lake stuff always has the word exercise attached to it. Of course you can fish lakes right along the highway at over 9,000 feet but since everybody and their dog can access these lakes then they are nearly as good as the lakes that are tough to access. That is what makes Glacier Lake so great. It is a 5mile dirt road off Highway 212 to get to a parking area. From there it is about a one hour hike up to the lake, which at 9,681 feet is often not even free of ice until mid-July. For the fortunate few who time it right there are some real big fish waiting. Go as deep as you can and retrieve slowly.
South central Montana has some of the best fishing and Red Lodge real estate is some of the most reasonale mountain real estate anywhere in the west. Authentic Victorian mining town in the middle of a recreational Mecca.
Viewed 481 times by 91 viewers
