The Fish We Catch on Our Flathead Lake Charters
Flathead Lake in Western Montana is a crystal clear, 15 miles wide, 28 miles long, 120,320 acres and 370+ feet deep body of water with 168 miles of shoreline. Fed by the drainages of the Rocky Mountains and Glacier National Park, Flathead Lake is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi. Surrounded by woods and beautiful estates, it is home to osprey, eagles and abundant wildlife. Flathead Lake itself is full of Lake Trout (Mackinaw) which thrive in the cold, clear, well-oxygenated water.
Flathead Lake features a mostly rocky, gravel bottom and ideal water temperatures. Along with the ample food supply, this provides the perfect environment for Lake Trout – with an average catch length of 22″-26″. Lake Trout have been caught in Flathead Lake measuring over 40 inches! The record fish weighed 42 pounds and measured 42″!
In addition to lake trout, these native fish can be found in Flathead Lake: bull trout, Westslope cutthroat trout, mountain whitefish, pygmy whitefish, largescale sucker, northern pikeminnow, peamouth chub, redside shiner, slimy sculpin, and longnose dace.
There are over 25 fish species found in the Flathead River-Lake ecosystem. The primary sport fish that we target for catching are below:
Lake Trout
Bull Trout
Rainbow Trout (Kamloop)
Lake Whitefish
Interesting Facts About Flathead Lake
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) cooperatively manage Flathead Lake under the Flathead Lake and River Fisheries Co-management Plan.
Lake trout up to five pounds eat lots of Mysis shrimp and can be delicious fried, baked, barbecued, or smoked. Fish from 5-10 pounds are much oilier and are best put back to grow to trophy size. Macs over 10 pounds are mostly for fun and over 20 pounds should ONLY be considered for your wall!
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