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.
Now, I can’t give you all of my fishing secrets for Montana and Wyoming’s eastern Rocky Mountain or I’d have to kill you - just kidding, but here is a small compilation of some of my favorite streams and high mountain lakes in the Red Lodge, Montana area.
Just a short walk from anywhere in downtown is Rock Creek which is a free stone stream feed by the waters of the high Beartooth Plateau. The fish are eager and don’t get much pressure and as you move down stream they get bigger and bigger.
“Where The Hell Is Roscoe?” is a slogan on a t-shirt at The Grizzly Bar just 15 miles west of Red Lodge. Just the drive out there takes you past some of the finest Montana real estate available. Several miles south of The Grizzly you cross over East Rosebud Creek. This stream has been know to produce an occassional 20 inch plus fish, so don’t be surprized if you get one. Buggers in the deep holes or little dries and small nymphs in the slow stuff.
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.
In the spring time head 60 miles south to Cody and Newton Reservoir for some great big fish stories. Little flies on top and leeches down below, whatever they are hitting on. The surface activity can be a ball. Try the far side in waders all the way away from the parking lot and wade out in the weeds.
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.
This is one of the reasons that owning a second home or a piece of Red Lodge, Montana real estate is so appealing. The vast amount of recreational opportunity that is right at your doorstep is unbelievable and Montana’s largest city is under one hour away.
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