Upper and Lower Twin lakes on Twin Lakes Creek near Anaconda, Montana, are presumed to have held native bull trout; probably so did Doctor and Big Salmon lakes in the South Fork of the Flathead River watershed. The 6 mile round trip to Lava Lake is a steady climb that runs beside Cascade Creek through the Lee Metcalf Wilderness. Beautiful short and easy hike. The trail is rough if you have a lot of weight on you. It was difficult driving up the road to get to the beginning of the trail, so I recommend a vehicle that can handle the rough road; preferably a truck or AWD. I just went fishing in the western Sierra and caught a Golden trout even bigger than the one in the picture. It is currently 8+ feet of snow! Up high in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana there is Sylvan Lake, offering good fishing for golden trout. It had some steeper inclines but we were able to stop and rest by a beautiful stream. I waited for 30 minutes until I got my first bite but damn it was worth it. Definitely more than that... once we got there it was completely frozen over. Overview Less busy trail. Golden trout find conditions in those high, cold lakes to be just what they like, and there are good numbers of them in some lakes. I made it to the lake in an hour. Continue left for the Golden Trout Lakes. Not to be unexpected with all the snow! Our group caught a total of 9 fish for the day before it got cut short by a mean rain/hail storm. Lake is frozen over as of 10/15/17. In fact, much of the South Fork of the Kern River is only accessible to the dedicated outdoorsmen who are willing to ride in by horseback. (Hiking) Golden Trout Lakes, Near Big Sky, Montana By danwgoodman on June 27, 2012 • ( 3 Comments ) Stifling heat and choking smoke may define the legacy of Montana’s 2012 summer, but the state’s high altitude mountain lakes have so far remained havens for outdoor seekers of … It was a beautiful blast in our eyes but if you are looking to fish, look somewhere else!! Some of the best spots to cast a fly include Spanish Lakes, Hidden Lakes, or Golden Trout Lakes. Garnet Mountain Fire Lookout sits on the apex of Garnet Mountain, at an elevation of 8,245 feet. The trail begins to gain noticeable elevation as it continues. The trail leaves from right next to the toilets, and is very easy to follow. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your A sign indicates heading left to Windy Pass and Golden Trout Lakes, but bear right at the fork and continue another 2.2 miles to the Hidden Lakes trailhead. Windy Pass Cabin was built in 1934. Quite scenic. We will be back to see the lake! The original Big Creek Cabin was built in 1907 and it still stands on this site. If you're fishing, look for the inlet across the lake form where you arrive. The trail starts off easy and winds past a few small ponds before reaching the cutoff to Hidden Lakes Trail (approx. Once you get to the beginning of the trail, the hike is a nice little workout until you reach the final location of Golden Trout Lakes. Moderately trafficked with people at the destination. 0.8 miles). Anyone who is interested in visiting Golden Trout Lakes can print the free topographic map and street map using the link above. Golden trout lakes is a 5-mile rout trip hike with the opportunity to fish for Golden Trout. This is actually a collection of three lakes, though we just went to the main one. To get to Golden Trout Lakes, head north out of Big Sky on highway 191 for 5.1 miles. The thing that didn’t make it worth doing again was the road to the trailhead. Golden trout are on the smaller side. You might also find goldens scattered around in few other lakes, but they are not as widespread as many species of trout in Montana. It provides a rustic mountain retreat with few amenities, so guests need to bring most of th... Overview It was a little more difficult than I expected, but doable. Great views. Even the drive up Portal Creek Road is breathtaking!!!! There are only about 20 lakes or groups of lakes in the state that hold good numbers of golden trout. Eastern Sierra – Horseshoe Meadows Road (paved) leads up to high elevation meadows from the high deserts of Lone Pine, CA. Golden Trout Lakes Trail is a 7.7 kilometer moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Gallatin Gateway, Montana that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Big, gorgeous, tucked up against a wall of rock, and with a little outlet stream to a smaller lake below it. Golden trout have an interesting history in the state record books. Beautiful hike, but uncertain footing along much of the rock-strewn trail. The lookout provides a panorami... Overview 0.8 miles). The road is in rough condition and is better suited for vehicles with a higher clearance. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until September. Quite a commitment to get to the trail though as a 6 mile dirt road takes about half hour to drive because it's so rough but it's worth it. The Hidden Lakes Trailhead is 6.0 miles from 191 and is located at approximately 8185 feet. The trail has about 4 steep sections followed by flat sections to catch your breathe. Bring a fishing rod. Bring your fly rod, because some lakes hold a variety of fish like cutthroat trout or grayling. Road up to lake is nice however you need 4wd in some spots and there are no signs until you're right at the spot to park at the top of the mountain. Hidden Lakes from Mapcarta, the free map. The current cabin, a former guard station, was ... Overview The Golden Trout Lakes trail (Trail #89) is located up Portal Creek in the Gallatin Canyon near Big Sky. The golden trout populations started from the Sur- prise Lake stock had a low occurrence of the variant allele. Five of the lakes contain golden or rainbow trout (or both). DISCUSSION Present Status Of the 14 lake systems in Montana with golden trout in 1981, only Lightning, Sylvan, Sawtooth, Island, Hidden #5, 6 and 7 and Golden Trout lakes appear relatively secure. Do NOT GO ON THIS TRAIL RIGHT NOW! Lake Trout are a major game fish in much of Canada and were at one time a staple of the Great Lakes fishery. Hiking to an alpine lake is a rewarding adventure. Generally you can’t just do a quick day trip for these ornate fish. Golden trout are most often found in remote, alpine drainages over 9,000 feet in elevation. Roads, campgrounds and trailheads surrounding Golden Trout Wilderness. The largest Golden Trout are located in high mountain lakes of Wyoming and Montana, but there are also fish in Utah and Idaho. Easily in anything higher than that, I would say. Dogs are also able to use this trail. Great trail with a beautiful and quiet lake at the top. The road in is really rocky but easily drivable with an appropriate car and tires- my explorer was fine- but plan on 30-45 minutes or so to drive the 6 miles from 191 to the trailhead. It was well worth it though, very pretty and secluded. Beautiful hike! Another sign about half way will point you toward the Hidden Lakes parking area and trailhead. Very few people on the trail for a Saturday in August. Fishermen will find a variety of fish including brown trout, northern pike, rainbow trout and whitefish here. The portal creek road is challenging, best to have 4x4 or AWD with high clearance. Like Cottonwood Lakes, the portion of the Kern River where golden trout can be found is extremely tricky to get to. When we got to the lake could maybe see ten feet out! Golden Trout Lakes is a lake located just 11.9 miles from Big Sky, in Gallatin County, in the state of Montana, United States, near George Norman Trailer Court, MT. This was a great trail! #NextTime, Buffalo Horn Pass from Tom Miner Campground, Bozeman, MT, to West Yellowstone, MT: the West Entrance, Levinski Ridge via Porcupine Creek Trailhead, Hyalite-Porcupine-Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study Area. Beautiful hike, and we had a great time fishing!! We did it in my 4Runner and had zero issues. I went last spring, there was a lot of water over the path and some post holing to be done. Lots of evidence of bears being in the area so be on alert!!! The drive is doable, we were in a pick up truck with four wheel drive and it took about 35 mins. Road conditions leading up are tremendously bad. The ponds at Hidden Lakes are stocked in April and October with trout. My Outback did just fine. We walked 1 1/2 + miles from the closed road to the sign that states 3 miles to trail head. I just drove right up to the creek located at about 7000 ft elevation in my Jeep 4+4 and started to fish. Trail had snow on parts and a small lake from snow melting towards the last stretch of the hike that we had to go around but omg was it worth it!!! Turned around .5 miles in on the trail due to snow. Users have reported that the road leading to the trailhead might require 4WD with high clearance. As golden lakes go, this one was nirvana. The trailhead for Golden Trout Lakes is located off of US Highway 191 south of Bozeman, Montana… In looping around the lake, many fish were noted rising to the surface; however, none were caught. Nice n easy hike. The meadow and wildflowers were awesome! They provide a unique opportunity to catch a beautiful fish in a pristine environment. Gorgeous views make this fairly strenuous climb worth it. We're committed to building a better, more inclusive home for the modern outdoors. Beautiful Alpine Lake. The largest Golden on record is an 11-pound, 4-ounce fish that Great trail with nice reward at the end. Definitely coming again to try to catch some golden trout. The hike and the lake are breathtaking. The road gets a bit bumpier for another 2.2 miles. Bring bug spray! It is absolutely beautiful but I can imagine it is much more manageable when you can drive to the trail head and hike. Glad I borrowed a friends truck. Nice lake at the end. The trailhead is easy to find, and has a vault toilet and a decently sized parking lot. Road was still closed due to runoff so we had to hike 4 miles just to get to the trailhead. Most lakes in this area can be reached in a few hours on a day hike, while others are best enjoyed with a wilderness camping trip. Here's a look at some excellent Montana Brook Trout we tracked down last summer. Bring bug spray though!! The first challenge in catching golden trout is determining which lakes hold them. Veer right for Hidden Lakes. In Wyoming, however, they don't offer stocking records on their website. Took a while to get there in our truck. The lake is beautiful in a nice place to relax. But for those who make the trip, catching a golden trout, the state fish, is worth the effort. The largest of the Golden Trout Lakes is surrounded by forest, with good campsites above the north and east shores. First stocked in 1938, the golden trout at Sylvan Lake are well known in Montana for their genetic purity. Fishing Permits . In the Gallatin Range lies a constellation of lakes, and all of their secrets, which can be found by you. If you’re still not sure where to begin your Big Sky fly fishing adventure, check out MontanaAngler.com or better yet, hire one of Big Sky country’s world class fly fishing guides. Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) access; Mount Whitney and John Muir Wilderness are to the north. There are some different options for starting and ending this hike, but the route I did started at Buffalo Horn Trailhead and ends at the Hyalite Creek Trailhead, and is approximately 42 miles total. A great hike. Some people were fishing, not sure if they were having any luck. Follow this road for about 3.5 miles until the road ends. Lots of shade. They spawn in the fall on the rocky substrate of the shoreline. Also, the mosquitos were terrible, so wear bug spray and bring extra to reapply at the top! Few camp spots around the lake. Was a nice hike in a wooded area to the lake. Neither trail is terribly difficult. All adults age 16 and older are required to have a Hidden Lakes permit. Some popular destinations are Lightning Lake, Cave Lake, the Hidden Lakes (Gallatin Range) and the Golden Trout Lakes. In early July 2012, my mom and I headed up into the Gallatin Mountains for our next hiking adventure: Golden Trout Lakes. Good hike, rough road getting up there. Mosquitos are vicious in the parking lot so plan ahead to make a quick getaway- they lighten up as you go but bug juice is recommended. Pack only the necessities if you're going to fish! The trail starts off easy and winds past a few small ponds before reaching the cutoff to Hidden Lakes Trail (approx. The Golden Trout Lakes fishing map contains information about some of the best fishing spots this lake has to offer as well as the nearby cottages, campgrounds, and bait and tackle shops. Didn’t catch any trout, but saw plenty grabbing bugs off the surface. In Montana, that's not terribly difficult through the MFISH database. this is an awesome trail to a beautiful and quiet lake....there are a lot of great little streams and plenty of shade through many portions of the trail. At this point, there is a decent sized parking area. Fox Creek Cabin is a former ranger station located in a remote area. Equestrian corrals and horse trails. The trail starts at the Gallatin River and continues upward through dense evergreen forest. The trail head is equipped with adequate parking. © 2020 The Outbound Collective - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy. Rough roads to the Golden Trout Lakes It was difficult driving up the road to get to the beginning of the trail, so I recommend a vehicle that can handle the rough road; preferably a truck or AWD. Hidden Lakes Historic Trout Farm, Bolingbrook: See 48 reviews, articles, and 28 photos of Hidden Lakes Historic Trout Farm, ranked No.4 on Tripadvisor among 19 attractions in Bolingbrook. A Hidden Lakes permit is needed to fish at Hidden Lakes. After passing a large open field (possibly a marsh, depending on weather and time of year), the trail hits a steep section before leveling off for the final approach to the lake. The trailhead serves double duty as it's the jumping off place for two trails. Permits are … Not true. It is very small and offers only basic amenities. Throw the smallest fly you have out as far as you can cast and just sit there and wait. 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