The following daily bag limits apply to all waters within each region except as modified in the Special Rules. County & Town: Cattaraugus County, Town of Cold Spring. Below Quake Lake is a section of aggressive water that falls under the general Montana fishing Regulations with the season starting on the 3rd Saturday of May and runs through February. Select Rd Closures: Flood Damage, Yellowstone R.D. In late fall, brown trout move from Quake Lake to the Between-the-Lakes section of the Madison River. The Madison River originates at the confluence of the Gibbon and the Firehole Rivers in Yellowstone National Park about 15 miles east of the Gallatin Forest Boundary. Area: 268 acres However, in the autumn it can be a great place to chase trout, although it may lack some of the scenic qualities of the aforementioned stillwaters. with changes in elevation seen as recent as the 1964 earthquake. Fishing Quake Lake is something I can now check off my bucket list. Quake Lake in Custer County is 24.3 acres. Quake Lake measures six miles long, up to a third of a mile wide, covers 611 acres and is more than 180 feet deep. The Madison River below the landslide dried up completely for a time, resulting in significant fish kill. Popular lake and vacation spot just outside Glacier Park. Gradient is less steep near Forest Boundary. Hebgen Dam to Quake Lake is open the entire year. Favorite and proven bait, lure, and fly choices are as follows: nightcrawlers fished just off the bottom; small to medium spinners, spoons, and crankbaits; and leech patterns in brown, black, or olive. Another personal favorite of mine is Canyon Ferryit's one of the most popular bodies of water in the region. AKA: Quake Lake What to fish for. At times I wondered how many more fish I would have caught if I was a better fly fisher. Thirty-three people died in the slide and subsequent flooding. Beaver Creek Boat Launch Ramp Quake Lake formed following an earthquake and massive landslide on August 17, 1959. Quake Lake measures six miles long, up to a third of a mile wide, covers 611 acres and is more than 180 feet deep. The landslide also caused tornado force winds that fanned out in front of the landslide and flood, destroying most everything in its path. They will try to break you off on the many trees and downed timber present in the lake. 33 people died in the landslide and subsequent flooding, and $11 million in damage was sustained. Boat Rental: NO Due to its sudden and violent creation, snags, submerged timber, and numerous other obstacles make this lake all but impossible to troll for trout using conventional methods. Ennis LakeAs the days shorten and the air cools, Ennis Lake once again becomes a fantastic fishery. The Madison River once flowed through this section until August 17th of 1959. Use our QR code to create a contact in your phone to get ahold of us easier! The lake is located 600 m above sea level. fishing isn't allowed, but a small commercial fishery provides ample smoked fish which are local delicacies. The South Fork of the Madison River is also a major tributary lying entirely within National Forest Systems lands. Fishing access is nearly unlimited with shoreline fishing allowed around the entire lake, except for the swimming area. There is a sign on one of the pullouts that overlook Quake Lake that describes this event as The Night of Terror. There are still trees that line the lake on both sides that stick out from the water. The least fishing pressure happens during the off-season and on weekdays. West Yellowstone, MT 59758 When the dust settled, a new geologic wonder lay ready to be explored and studied by generations of geologists and tourists. Quake Lake Fly Fishing Montana's Quake Lake can most likely be best described in one word: eerie. It has a bottom primarily of mud with some cobble and gravel. Fishing for cutthroat and brown trout in southwest MT. The best fishing on Quake Lake occurs in late spring and early summer, and again later in the summer and fall. Quake Lake Outfitters welcomes all duck-enthusiasts and offers a wide range of services. Panfish: Yellow perch and bluegill are the lake's dominant panfish, with some pumpkinseed, rock bass and brown bullhead as well. Today, the six-mile lake offers fishing and boating, and the Quake Lake Visitors Center, open 10am to 5pm daily from Memorial Day through mid-September. Earthquake Lake Montana is accessible all year. In addition to the geology lesson, 38,000-acre Quake Lake offers good rainbow and brown trout fishing, boating and canoeing, and, as with most places in this part of the state of Montana, scenic beauty. The resulting landslide turned a six-mile stretch of the Madison River into the lake, which provides terrific ice . Official websites use .gov A .gov The hours for Earthquake Lake Visitor Center are 10 am to 6 pm seven days a week. Destinations / All Saltwater Destinations, Destinations / All Freshwater Destinations, Destinations / Central America & Caribbean. Quake Lake (officially Earthquake Lake) is a lake in the western United States, on the Madison River in southwestern Montana. Articles, maps, gear reviews, events, photo galleries if it's outdoors and southwest Montana, it's in here. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock Two cities are lying on the northern borders of the lake - Schlehdorf and Kochel. Shoreline Length: 3.8 miles Box 520 West Yellowstone, MT 59758 (406) 823-6961 At a Glance General Information Directions: 8 mi N of West Yellowstone on US 191, 16 mi W on US 287 Accessibility: Open from Memorial Day - September 10 Weather dependant Parking: Largest parking Spurs: 12' x 55' & 22' x 30' Recreation Map Map showing recreational areas. ( Quake Lake Outfitters . Are you looking for a great way to gel your team? Created by an earthquake in 1959, Earthquake Lake is a 600-acre lake in the southwest part of the state, about 25 miles northwest of West Yellowstone. The lake is highly weather-dependent, but the best time to fish this lake is from late spring to early summer, although later in the summer and into the fall can also bring some great fishing. P.O. As you can see from the pictures below, you are in for some fun. Yellow perch were highly abundant in 2013, consisting mostly of young, small fish. Access to the lake is excellent. The best time to fish this lake is from late spring to early summer. You can catch brown trout, stocked yearly, and good-sized rainbow trout. Elevation: 1,365 feet Kayaks are also popular on Quake Lake MT. Quake Lake, also called Earthquake Lake, is one of the more interesting natural features in Montana. Lodging: YES The South Fork also supports a large brown trout spawning run during the fall and is a primary source for brown trout recruitment to Hebgen Lake. This is because there are many sharp rocks coming from the rockslide that formed the lake. Yellowstone National Park fishing regulations can be viewed at NPS.gov. Additionally, the north shore of Hebgen Lake, which lies just upstream, dropped an amazing 19 feet, cracking Hebgen Dam in four places and creating massive waves on the lake that spilled over the dam and raced downstream in a massive flood. 3- Lake Kochelsee. The trout fishery is essentially a put-and-take fishery since there is little holdover of trout. Quake Lake is accessible year-round. Quake Lake serves as a six-mile-long reminder of the forces of nature that lurk beneath the region. Note the Visitor Center will be closing in July 2012 for the season due to renovations. The Madison River once flowed through this section until August 17th of 1959. Campgrounds: YES It was formed in 1968 by impounding Quaker Run. The Madison River runs for 183 miles through Wyoming and Montana; however, this section of the Madison is between Hebgen Lake and Earthquake Lake. The first fish I caught in the morning was a 17-inch rainbow. Quake Lake Fly Fishing Hebgen Lake Fly Fishing Flathead River Fly Fishing. You can catch brown trout, stocked yearly, and good-sized rainbow trout. I missed some strikes, made a few errant casts, and spooked a couple of fish when my casts thumped the surface of the water. Map Information Contact the Visitors Center at (406) 682-7620. During the height of run-off, the lake turns cloudy, severely limiting fly fishing opportunities. A detailed access map of most fishing access sites for the Madison River can be viewed at VisitMT.com. Rainbow, Brown, Cutthroat, Brook, Whitefish, few Arctic Grayling. The earthquake was so strong that it triggered a massive landslide on Sheep Mountain, on the western end of Madison Canyon (nine miles downstream from Hebgen Dam), which blocked the Madison River completely. Horse Riding Pack & Fishing Trips near Yellowstone, A massive earthquake formed Quake Lake in 1959, Learn all about the seismic activity of the region by dropping by the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center, Experience the lake by kayaking around it, Catch some brown or rainbow trout in Quake Lake. For anglers not fishing from a boat, there are numerous access points and pull-offs along the road. Perch are slow growing in Quaker, but are expected to provide improving fishing opportunities in the near future. Perhaps the final line in Norman Macleans novella, A River Runs Through It, suffers from overuse. Sometimes its not your fault if youre not catching fish.. I tossed a size #20 Midge pattern a few yards above it and let the current take it above the trouts nose. The highway follows the lake and provides views of the effects of the massive earthquake and landslide. A 1959 earthquake split off a chunk of mountain, and the 80-million ton landslide into Montanas Madison River created a natural dam. Copyright 2002 - 2022 Big Sky Fishing.Com, Camping around Quake Lake | Custer National Forest, Earthquake Lake Visitor Center Information. Quake Lake Outfitters would like to offer you our guided crappie fishing. Whether you're spinning, baitcasting or fly fishing your chances of getting a bite here are good. Montanas Quake Lake can most likely be best described in one word: eerie. Share sensitive information only The barren spot on the mountain is where the landslide happened that blocked the Madison River, thus allowing the formation of Quake Lake. More trophy fish come out of the Madison than most rivers in Montana. Finally, on a recent mid-September morning, my podcast partner, Dave, and I got our opportunity to fish its upper reaches. Area campgrounds include Bakers Hole, Beaver Creek, Cabin Creek, Cherry Creek, Lonesomehurst, and Rainbow Point. You can also go kayaking, boating or campingseveral campgrounds are located on its shores. The earthquake that formed Quake Lake measured 7.3 on the Richter scale and created a landslide estimated at 80 million tons of dirt and rock. Click images for fishing tips and details about each species. Except as modified in Special RulesFishing is not allowed within the posted upstream and downstream boundary of any fish weir or trap. Just to the west, Quake Lake offers great fly fishing opportunities. Connect with travelers planning a visit to West Yellowstone Montana. See Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks fishing regulations or check their web site at FISHMT for additional fishing regulation information. I saw it feeding while we were hunting for larger fish in a couple of feeding lanes. This picturesque setting is ideal for pitching a tent and hanging out for a few days. Usually the area below the lake is avoided, except by the most expert paddlers. The landslide traveled down the side of the mountain at about 100 miles per hour, and resulted in the fatality of 28 campers in that section. Autumn angling on this lake can be good from shore, float tube, or other non-motorized craft; however, a worthy powerboat is recommended for those looking to venture further from shore, as sudden storms with high winds are common in this area. 27 Top Tourist Attractions in Germany. I recently fulfilled a long-time dream. All rights reserved. Call the visitor's center at (406) 682-7620. We're the Ones That Can Make Your Next Trip Great. RV Hookups: NO It is a peculiar feeling to be casting to cruising trout among the skeletons of fir and pine trees above the submerged highway bed. Our day was the former type. Earthquake Lake Over sixty years later, Quake is now a popular place for anglers to target healthy populations of trout that average between 17-19 inches. It reminded me how important it is to arrive early if you want your choice of places to fish. The waters above Quake Lake provide some exciting Class III rapids, and below the lake the most strenuous Class IV-V whitewater rafting. Trout anglers do very well from shore with egg sacks on the north end of the lake by Kim's Marina. We had a satisfying day, and between sporadic success and the mystique of Quake Lake, its a day that Ill remember for a long time. You will be able to catch char, bream, carp, eel . Since it is located 25 km from the city centre, it . Give us a follow if you want to be kept up to date about whats happening! The result of the quake is that twenty-eight people died from the landslide and five more died from the resulting flood. About On August 17, 1959 an earthquake in the Madison Canyon River Area, near West Yellowstone, formed Quake Lake. The shoreline is virtually undeveloped and consists primarily of mowed fields with some wooded areas.
quake lake fishing