Visitor Trips + Montana Streams/Lakes

[dtpalfini]

Greetings all,
I am going to be out of town for much of the summer fishing in Montana and Northern California but was hoping to get in on a few trips at some point. I will not be back in Seattle for an extended period until probably Oct 12th, are any lakes still being stocked that late in the season? I have 10 days in August that I can probably make it back from the 19th thru 30th, could come up earlier depending on if Covid shuts things down and forces me to change plans. So:

1. Is anyone going on trips in October or from Aug 19-30 that I could tag along on?

2. Does anyone have any recommendations for Missoula over the next month or around Bozeman for the entire month of September? Near Missoula my first stops will be Rock Creek and the Blackfoot then I will start exploring more, I almost exclusively wade smaller to mid size streams and am primarily interested in dry action but also want to check out the lakes in Glacier. I don’t have a boat or raft.

Thanks,
Damian Palfini

[Trout206]

I am a visitor and still patiently waiting for an invite like you, so I cannot help with a stocking trip.

I can however recommend the Bitterroot River south of Missoula. You can drive the highway and stop anywhere and catch fish off the bank. If you haven’t fished Rock Creek before, you will love it and likely not want to leave. It is a small river in a canyon with very large fish. Stop by the Trout Bums Fly shop and they will set you up on flies although it has the typical caddis/terrestrial/Stonefly hatches of most “western” rivers.

Good luck!

David Elenbaas

• This reply was modified 4 years, 4 months ago by Trout206.

[dtpalfini]

Thanks David, Rock Creek is definitely on the list and I’ll be sure to check out Trout Bums. The guy at the Missoulian gave me a half dozen or so creeks to try as well so that should keep me busy for a couple weeks minimum.

Damian

[Brian Curtis]

I have a potential stocking opportunity this coming Saturday, if you are available.

By mid-October the stocking season is just about over, but there are normally a handful lakes that are stocked late in the month.

I’ve hiked and fished high lakes a fair amount in the Bitteroot Mountains south of Missoula. It is really nice country with some great fishing. I’ve never fished rivers, only high lakes.

And Bozeman should put you close to some nice high lakes, too. I’ve never fished anything super close to Bozeman, but I’ve hiked many of the wilderness areas just but further afield. You can’t really go wrong.

[dtpalfini]

I am already in Montana but thanks for the invite Brian. Hopefully I can connect with someone with the late Oct trips, otherwise I will try and make the end of August work.

I am the opposite of you, I never fish lakes just rivers but I guess now is as good a time as any to give it a shot. Thanks for the tips, I will do a little more research and see what I can find.

Damian

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