Honey Holes

[Northernpiker]

Between age and lack of fitness I don’t feel I can walk the mountains elk hunting this year but would like to do some camping in or near the mountains in Colorado, Montana or Wyoming and do some lake fishing with fly rod (preferably trout). Probably camp near the truck (could spike in a mile or so) and enjoy scenery and as much solitude as possible. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Terry

 

[ElkNut1]

I don't have any suggestions but wish you the best of luck sir!

ElkNut

 

[87TT]

Solitude and easy access are a tough find anymore. Good luck.
P.S. Don't expect anyone to give up those spots on the internet any faster than a good elk spot.

 

[Pony Soldier]

Montana has a diverse environment and you have to provide more details to get ideas. My experience with fishing is that it sucks with high temps - even in small streams.

There are more than enough roads out there that will take you to enough high country to stay cool. Pick a forest, buy a travel map and go look. Don't light any campfires.

 

[KWT]

Try the Madison in Montana. Lots of places to walk the shoreline and fish. Then you could always go into Yellowstone and try your luck in there. Be bear aware!

 

[wyosteve]

Just south of the south entrance to Yellowstone is Sheffield Creek trailhead with camping sites. No electricity and water from the creek, but you are right by the Snake River and not too far from Jackson Lake for some fishing. Generally the area is pretty quiet, but be aware it's grizzly country so pack bear spray and secure all edibles!

 

[TaperPin]

I’ve had a whole lot of fun camping near high somewhat isolated lakes containing nothing but Brooke trout at 9k’ to 10k’. An un-named little lake a 1/2 mile or more off the trail to more prominent lake or lakes seems to have good odds of light use. The last such lake we fished in mid July pre Covid produced over 100 little catch and release fish a day throwing nothing but foam hoppers near the shore.

Unfortunately the Covid mass vacation had 100 cars at trailheads that normally have 10, and much of the back country fisheries that aren’t stocked have had a giant reduction in numbers, which are slow to recover.

At least as far back as the Great Depression, many back country lakes were stocked with fish and fresh water shrimp - even in the lakes where the introduced fish didn’t survive, a resident population of shrimp is a good sign for large numbers of brookies. Some lakes in Idaho looked ideal, with large numbers of brookies in the streams below, but almost none in the lake for some reason. Same with some very nice rivers that should be full of fish, but aren’t and I’m not sure why.

Sounds like a fun trip - let us know how it turns out!

 

[mtnwrunner]

Terry, if you want to do Idaho, let me know.

Randy