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. Golden Trout Lake – The hike to Golden Trout Lakes begins at the Upper Portal Creek Trailhead. Like elsewhere in Montana, some of the Absaroka-Beartooth’s roughly 300 trout lakes produce trout naturally and some are … Stay on the trail marked NFS 83 at the bifurcation to hidden lake cutoff. 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. 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. Fishermen will find a variety of fish including brown trout, northern pike, rainbow trout and whitefish here. Golden trout are most often found in remote, alpine drainages over 9,000 feet in elevation. Fishing Permits . 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. The last mile is rough - very steep. 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. The road gets a bit bumpier for another 2.2 miles. We've found that both lures and flies work excellently in the little known lakes in the Crazy Mountains. A great hike. The Golden Trout Lakes sit in a basin at an elevation of 9,050 feet. The entire hike covers 1300′ of elevation gain and is 5 miles round trip. Hiked on Labor Day. Definitely more than that... once we got there it was completely frozen over. Unfortunately, a storm blew in sent us back down the hill about a quarter-mile from the lakes. Wyoming's record golden trout, which is also the current world record (an 11-pounder measuring 28 inches), was caught at Cook Lake in 1948. The original Big Creek Cabin was built in 1907 and it still stands on this site. Sylvan Lake’s golden population is so pure that the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks regularly uses the eggs laid by goldens at Sylvan Lake for stocking other lakes in Montana. Big, gorgeous, tucked up against a wall of rock, and with a little outlet stream to a smaller lake below it. Not to be unexpected with all the snow! The TripCome and explore the secluded and scenic northeastern section of the Golden Trout Wilderness, which is located on the expansive Kern Plateau south of Mount Whitney. It wasn't very big or very bright, but it was a golden! Bring your fly rod, because some lakes hold a variety of fish like cutthroat trout or grayling. No fish remain at Rocky Basin Lakes. Follow this road for about 3.5 miles until the road ends. The trail begins to gain noticeable elevation as it continues. Success! Recommend bait is half a worm on a small hook with a weight 20-26 inches up your line. We walked 1 1/2 + miles from the closed road to the sign that states 3 miles to trail head. The trailhead serves double duty as it's the jumping off place for two trails. It was a beautiful blast in our eyes but if you are looking to fish, look somewhere else!! The trail has about 4 steep sections followed by flat sections to catch your breathe. Hiking to an alpine lake is a rewarding adventure. The high-mountain lakes rest in a cirque on the northern slope of Eaglehead Mountain, a three-peaked mountain with a rounded, grassy ridge. We did the entire thing just so our dogs could explore. The fly fishing options in Big Sky country are endless. Dogs are also able to use this trail. Fly-fishing for golden trout is a time-consuming, obsession-creating adventure of a time. The ponds at Hidden Lakes are stocked in April and October with trout. CODY, WYOMING'S FRIENDLIEST FLY SHOP AND FISHIEST GUIDE SERVICE. It was the first of several dozen that I would end up catching in the 3 days we were there. The first challenge in catching golden trout is determining which lakes hold them. I just drove right up to the creek located at about 7000 ft elevation in my Jeep 4+4 and started to fish. These lakes were planted with Golden Hybrids from the Cottonwood spawning program. About an hour and 20 minutes to get to the lake at a moderate pace, so calculate that into when you want to start fishing. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until September. BULL TROUT. You might also find goldens scattered around in few other lakes, but they are not as widespread as many species of trout in Montana. These two lakes are found close to the Madison River at $3 Bridge. With multiple peaks over 12,000 ft. elevation and hundreds of backcountry lakes, the Beartooth Wilderness/ mountain range is a premier destination for incredible high alpine lake fishing. If you're fishing, look for the inlet across the lake form where you arrive. Golden Trout. Hiking to an alpine lake is a rewarding adventure. The entire hike covers 1300′ of elevation gain and is 5 miles round trip. It had some steeper inclines but we were able to stop and rest by a beautiful stream. The Hidden Lakes and Golden Trout Lakes offer easy access to golden trout, and beautiful Ramshorn Lake holds nice-sized cutthroat. The first 20 or so fish I caught were brook trout, but then I landed one that wasn't as dark. Turned around .5 miles in on the trail due to snow. The fly fishing options in Big Sky country are endless. No fish remain at Rocky Basin Lakes. Golden trout are on the smaller side. We will be back to see the lake! 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