Montana Fly Fishing Trips: Hebgen Lake

THE BEST DRY FLY LAKE FISHING IN MONTANA

Rainbow trout, lake trout, whitefish, pike and bass - Montana's lakes offer excellent fly fishing for a wide variety of species. And Hebgen Lake has some of the best dry fly lake fishing in the state of Montana. Neighboring the national forest and surrounded by breathtaking mountain scenes and beautiful pine trees, a trip to Hebgen Lake presents unforgettable fishing opportunities for both local and visiting fly fishermen.

One of the more popular lakes in the valleys of Montana, Hebgen Lake is just north of the Idaho border and off Highways 87 and 287. With Madison River as its main feeder, Hebgen is more than 16 miles long and on its southern end measures up to four miles at its widest point. A lake this large, along with its location on a high plateau near Yellowstone National Park, can mean very windy conditions at times. Consequently, a motorboat, canoe or pontoon boat is recommended as they are safer and allow fly fishermen to quickly and easily cover more water. Float tubing, however, can still offer fishing success in some of the sheltered bays and inlets.

LAND AN 18 INCH BROWN TROUT!

But no matter what your vessel on the lake, you will discover that the trout in Hebgen Lake are a sporting size. The average brown trout runs between 16 to 18 inches, and usually stays close to the weed beds. Rainbow trout ranges from 14 to 16 inches and prefers more open water. An occasional 20-incher is not unheard of either.

These large rainbow trout and brown trout are found in such healthy numbers in Hebgen Lake that they contribute to the lake's enormous popularity.

Hebgen offers two distinctive hatches. From mid-May to late July, Hebgen Lake is a Chironomid factory. Such a prolific midge hatch leads the Hebgen trout to feed on top. By the time the second hatch of the famous Trico and Callibaetis mayflies arrive, Hebgen's fish are quite used to feeding on surface flies.

And it is this happy coincidence that creates arguably the finest dry fly lake in the world!

HEBGEN - FAMOUS FOR ITS GULPERS

The second hatch continues through August, the top month, and often into September, bestowing further fame on Hebgen for its gulpers: fish that audibly gulp Callibaetis and Tricos. So, while there are other outstanding dry fly waters in the world, none can boast rising trout on any calm, sunny or overcast day, for a whole four months out of the year. And gulpers to boot!

HEBGEN LAKE - AN EXTRAORDINARY LAKE IN MONTANA

Experience a change of pace from river fishing and take a trip to Hebgen Lake. Lake fishing can reward the fly fisherman with huge trout that cannot be caught in the many rivers of Montana. There is simply no excuse for visiting or local fishermen to miss the opportunity to fish this beautiful and abundant lake.