You can step outside your cabin door and enjoy fly-fishing a lake full of large and feisty Westslope and Yellowstone Cutthroat. With nearly 400 acres water surface, Elk Lake has plenty of water - and lots of feed. None the less, it is only lightly fished. Thus, your early morning casts can produce several colorful, firm fish in the 3 to 5 pound range.
creek
fed by the underground outlet of Elk Lake, Elk Springs Creek meanders
across the valley floor before pouring into Swan Lake. Elk Lake Road divides
the 'fishing' sections, with the creek west of the road open for fishing
from the 3rd Saturday in May to the end of November.
The section east of the road opens July 15th and
remains open to the end of November. This creek runs through Refuge Lands
and is accessible, by foot, to the public.
has its own claim to fame as the home to some very large Yellowstone Cutthroat (our fish biologist says they can run up to 10#!) and the unique sport fish - Arctic Grayling. In fact, Upper Red Rock Lake (closed to fishing), Odell Creek, and Red Rock Creek support one of the last native strains of Arctic Grayling in the lower 48 states (all catch and release for Grayling). Open to fishing from the 3rd Saturday in May to the end of November, this creek flows mostly through public lands and the refuge before pouring into Upper Red Rock Lake. Be sure to seek permission before crossing private land.
Most Popular Fishing Gear - For our local lakes
Most fishermen in our neck of the woods prefer flies. However, we've had fish caught on bait (the 12# lunker caught at Hidden Lake bit into a 'cheese sandwich'), lures, and even a worm on a Sponge Bob pole. Whether you like to troll, fly-fish, or use spinners, we've included some of the most successful gear below.
- Flies:
- Prince Nymphs, Soft Hackles, Pheasant Tails, and Bloodworms
- Leach Patterns - primarily in blacks, browns, and olive greens
- Scuds - keep to the off white and light greens
- Damsel Flies - best success has been with limes, browns, and the darker color patterns
- Spinners:
- Panther Martins - 1/4 oz weight in blacks, golds, and yellows
- Thomas Cyclones - red and gold patterns
- Rapallas - stick to the smaller sizes in Rainbow Trout and Cutthroat Trout patterns or try ones with a black body and a gold stripe
- Jacob's Spin-Lure - gold with red spots seem to work best
- Flat Fish - a #4 green flat fish used with some weight has been quite successful when fishing Hidden Lake
- Other Gear:
- Most fishermen prefer intermediate lines or weight on a float line. Longer leaders (10 - 15') seem to work best for fly fishermen.
- Float tubes, waders, or boats are preferred at Elk Lake, although several fishermen have had success fishing off our dock.
- Float tubes or boats are strongly encouraged at Hidden Lake, but there are a few places where one can fish successfully off the shoreline.
Fishing Tips
Elk Lake: 
Most
fishermen prefer fishing the shoreline along the southwest edge of the
lake up to and just past the Resort. Several 'hot' spots exist in the
bay near the Resort. Another favorite spot is the rocky drop off toward
the northeast end of the lake. Still another is in the weeds on the
north end. Most fish are in water depths of not more than 25', and they
commonly run in schools. Most fishing success seems to be found by fishing
along the weed beds either at the point where the shoreline drops off,
or just over their tops. Best fishing times are from 'ice off' (usually
Mid-May) to mid-July and then again from late August through 'ice up'.
In addition, ice fishing has been a real hit at times.
Hidden Lake: 
Opening annually around June 15th, Hidden Lake remains fairly consistent through most of the summer. Most fishermen prefer using boats and float tubes to access this lake as most of the shoreline is heavily timbered. Float tubes are a favorite as it is a 1/4 mile walk from the parking lot to the lake. If you don't want to carry in your gear, we offer row boats for rent. Although this lake is VERY deep, the fish still tend to be found in 25 feet of water, or less.
For the convenience of our guests, we sell Montana fishing licenses.
2008 Montana Fishing License Pricing (prices good to February 2009)Resident:
- Conservation and Fishing
- 1 - 14 years old (implied with conservation license) - $8.00
- 14 - 17 years old - $16.00
- 18 - 61 years old - $26.00
- 62 + years old (implied with conservation license) - $16.00
- Disabled (implied with conservation license) - $8.00
Non Resident:
- Conservation and Fishing (season) - $70.00
- Conservation and Fishing (two day) - $25.00
- Conservation and Fishing (ten day) - $53.50
A Little Fishing History
Ever wondered where fly-fishing got its start? Would you believe a woman is credited with fly-fishing as we know it? Don't believe me? Read this article.
5200 Elk Lake Road, Lima, MT 59739
Just 1 Hour From West Yellowstone, Montana
phone: (406) 276-3282 - ♥ - fax: (406) 276-3399
email: Reservations@elklakeresortmontana.com
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