Yeti GOBOX Collection

Brook Trout(and possibly whitefish) in Western Montana

jeffraines

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Joined
Nov 22, 2016
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94
Hey guys,

For the past few years I've taken a trip to Montana every summer. This summer, it's going to be over 4th of July week. I typically fish most of the trip, and have some spots that I always visit. I typically do catch and release.

This year, while I'll visit those other spots, I'd love to find a spot for brookies... I would also like to try for whitefish too. I hear they're a typical by-catch, but to be honest I've never brought one to hand.

Now I'm gonna be honest, I plan to eat these fish. I'm not a "catch a limit and fill my freezer" type of guy... if I can find a place with brookies, I'll catch what I can eat and fry them up right there. Honestly, I haven't had a better eating trout than a fresh-caught brookie.

I'm not looking for the place you go and catch trophies, I just want an area with a lot of brookies(by this, I don't mean 2 fish every cast, I just mean that when a tug is on the other end its likely a brookie)... small is okay. I don't mind hiking, if its a lake in the mountains somewhere(or stream).

Thanks in advance.
 
You didn't mention where you are heading for your other spots, but most likely any mountain tributary close to those areas is going to hold brookies.
 
I’ll be in the Missoula area. Sorry, didn’t mention it in my first post

It's been a while, but there used to be plenty of deep runs on the Bitterroot that were just loaded with Whitey's. Caveat - this was in springtime when the water is colder, but if MT whitefish act the same as ours, they'll congregate in the deep bridge/cutbank pools in the summer and if you catch 1, you'll catch a dozen.
 
For brook trout, pick a drainage in the Root and go fishing. You can even fish multiple streams a day pretty easily. mtmuley
 
Upper rock creek is good for brookies, Just make sure you know the difference between brooks and bulls if you're going to keep them. I've run into folks with bull trout on a stringer because they didn't know the difference.
 
All I've ever done is smoke them. Filets from a big fish would probly be delicious battered and deep fried. mtmuley
 
If I run into any they’re destined for the fry pan... probably on the side of the river/creek where I caught it.
 
Upper rock creek is good for brookies, Just make sure you know the difference between brooks and bulls if you're going to keep them. I've run into folks with bull trout on a stringer because they didn't know the difference.



I typically visit rock creek, at least for the little restaurant so I’ll check it out. How far up would you go? It seems like it forks at one point wayyyyy up.
 
Anything downstream of the microburst is tourist area on rock creek. Also note it is very high and there was a death on it yesterday.

Any feeder creek on the Bitterrot should hold both. And the levels are dropping so fishing should be good.
 
If you're looking to target whiteys, pick up some big nymphs with a bead head and fish them along the bottom of a riffle on pretty much any western stream. Look up the "20-incher" pattern. Or a prince nymph in size 8-10.
 
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