Lake Fishing in Montana, Idaho & Utah — Eight Lakes, from Hebgen to Flaming Gorge
The still waters around Yellowstone’s west gate, the great lake trout water of Flathead Lake, Henry’s Lake in Idaho, and Flaming Gorge and Strawberry in Utah: what swims in each, how people fish it, the rules that govern it, and where to sleep.
Curated by Our Guild Explorers · Checked against Montana FWP, Idaho Fish and Game, Utah DWR, the Forest Service and the Salish and Kootenai Tribes, 3 November 2026
Three states meet within a morning’s drive of Yellowstone’s west entrance, and each has a famous lake within reach of it. Hebgen Lake sits at the edge of West Yellowstone; Quake Lake is the lake an earthquake made in 1959, a few miles down the Madison; Henry’s Lake lies just over the Idaho line. Further out are Ennis Lake on the Madison, Flathead Lake, a lake trout lake of the first order, and, to the south, Flaming Gorge on the Utah–Wyoming line and Strawberry Reservoir above Heber City.
This is the lake companion to the rivers in our fly fishing book — the Madison, the Henry’s Fork and the Green — written for everyone else: families with a spinning rod, trollers, ice anglers, and people who want a cabin on a lake and a fish for supper. Three states means three licences. We say exactly which one you need where, and at Flathead and Flaming Gorge, where the answer depends on which part of the lake you are standing on, we say that too. Every rule, limit and price below was read from the agency that sets it on 3 November 2026. Where we could not confirm something, we say so instead of guessing.
Book it. Then Hook it. (Catch & Release)
Destinations Guild is a travel reservation site as well as a fishing library. Every lake on this page has a town beside it, and each town has two buttons: hotels, pinned to that exact town on Trip.com, and vacation homes — the cabins and houses a party of three or four actually wants, with a kitchen, a freezer for the catch and somewhere to park the boat.
Hotels are booked through our partner Trip.com; vacation homes through our partner Booking.com. Destinations Guild earns a small commission when you book, at no extra cost to you. Dutch John, Manila and Island Park are small places with few hotels — if the list is short, try the vacation homes button. A warning we checked for you: a plain search for “Ennis” finds Ennis, Texas, and “Manila” finds the Philippines. Our buttons are pinned to the Montana and Utah towns.
The best months, in plain words
Open water from ice-off to freeze-up, then ice where the ice is safe and the rules allow it. Henry’s Lake has a season of its own.
| Lake | When you may fish | Our plain advice |
|---|---|---|
| Hebgen Lake | All year (Montana Central District lakes are open all year) | Our guidance: summer for boats and the shore; winter on the ice. The local ice-fishing tournament is proposed for late January 2027 at Kirkwood Marina. |
| Quake Lake, Ennis Lake | All year (Central District standard season) | Our guidance: late spring to autumn, when the roads, campgrounds and access along the Madison are open. |
| Henry’s Lake | Keep up to 2 trout from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend to 14 February; catch-and-release from 15 February to the Friday before Memorial Day | Idaho Fish and Game’s own split. The state park stays open in winter and calls the lake “a perfect location to ice fish”. |
| Island Park Reservoir | No special season — Upper Snake general rules | Idaho Fish and Game: bank fishing can be good in spring and autumn, and anglers often ice fish near the dam in winter. Forest Service campgrounds run late May to early September. |
| Flathead Lake | Check FWP (north) and the Tribes (south) | Our guidance: lake trout all year from a boat; the autumn Mack Days event ran 10 September to 8 November 2026. West Shore and Yellow Bay launches are usually ice-free in winter. |
| Flaming Gorge | All year; Linwood Bay closed at night 15 Oct to the 2nd Saturday of December | Kokanee may not be kept anywhere in Utah from 10 September to 30 November. Our guidance: spring and early summer for trolling; burbot at night and through the ice. |
| Strawberry Reservoir | Check Utah DWR for the 2026 Strawberry rules | Kokanee closure 10 Sept–30 Nov applies here too. The Forest Service lists shore, boat, float-tube, fly, spin, bait and ice fishing. |
Where a row says “our guidance”, that is our own plain advice, not an agency rule. None of these agencies publishes a “best months” list for these lakes, and we have not invented one.
Hebgen, Quake and Ennis — the Madison’s three lakes, Montana
The Madison River runs out of Yellowstone into Hebgen Lake, out of Hebgen into Quake Lake, and on down the valley to Ennis Lake. All three are Montana Central District waters.
Hebgen Lake — the big one by West Yellowstone
What swims there: brown, cutthroat and rainbow trout, according to the Forest Service, which calls Hebgen “Montana’s premier still water fishing lake.” How people fish it: from boats on the open lake and its long arms; from the shore and the Fisherman’s Point fishing pier; and through the ice in winter. Boat ramps: the Forest Service names a ramp inside Lonesomehurst Campground on the South Fork arm (8 miles west of West Yellowstone on US 20, then 4 miles north on Denny Creek Road). Kirkwood Marina on the north shore and Madison Arm Resort on the Madison arm hire boats (see below). Nearest town: West Yellowstone.
The rules: Hebgen has no lake-specific exception in FWP’s 2026 regulations, so Montana’s Central District standard limits apply — for lakes, 5 trout a day and 10 in possession (brown, rainbow and cutthroat counted together), 20 brook trout. The streams that feed Hebgen (Duck Creek, Grayling Creek and the South Fork Madison) are different: FWP opens them only from the third Saturday in May to 30 November. Hebgen Dam is on FWP’s list of dams closed to recreation “as marked by boat restraining systems or as posted.”
Confirmed with Montana FWP and the Forest Service, 3 November 2026 — FWP 2026 regulations: Central District lakes and reservoirs “Open all year”; “Combined Trout … Lakes/Reservoirs: 5 daily and 10 in possession, includes cutthroat trout.” Custer Gallatin National Forest: “A boat ramp is located within the campground” (Lonesomehurst).
Quake Lake — the lake an earthquake made
On the night of 17 August 1959 an earthquake brought a mountainside down across the Madison canyon below Hebgen Dam, and the river backed up behind it to form Earthquake Lake — Quake Lake to everyone who fishes it. The drowned trees still stand in the water. The Forest Service’s Earthquake Lake Visitor Center, 27 miles northwest of West Yellowstone on US 287, tells the story; Beaver Creek Campground is close by.
The rules: Quake Lake has no lake-specific exception in FWP’s 2026 regulations, so the Central District standard limits apply. The river below it is another matter: from the Quake Lake outlet to Lyons Bridge the Madison is catch-and-release for trout, artificial lures only, and closed to fishing from boats. We could not confirm an official species list or a boat ramp for Quake Lake itself today — check with FWP’s Region 3 office in Bozeman.
Ennis Lake — the shallow lake at the bottom of the valley
Ennis Lake is the reservoir behind Madison Dam, downstream of the town of Ennis. The Tackle Shop in Ennis keeps its own Ennis Lake page and fishing report. The rules: no lake-specific exception in FWP’s 2026 regulations, so Central District standard limits apply on the lake. The river above it (Ennis Bridge to Ennis Lake) is catch-and-release for rainbow trout, single-point barbless artificial lures only, and closed to fishing from boats. We could not confirm FWP’s species list or a lake boat ramp today — FWP’s Ennis Fishing Access Site is on the river, not the lake.
Henry’s Lake and Island Park Reservoir — Idaho
Fifteen miles west of West Yellowstone over Targhee Pass, and an Idaho licence, not a Montana one.
Henry’s Lake — big hybrids, brook trout and its own calendar
What swims there: Idaho Fish and Game’s recommended game fish are cutthroat trout, brook trout and the cutthroat-rainbow hybrid (“cutbow”); its surveys also found Utah chub and sculpin. The lake covers about 6,077 acres. How people fish it: mostly from boats, and through the ice in winter. Boat ramps: Henry’s Lake State Park, on the lake at Island Park, has a ramp and launching dock, 83 serviced campsites and three cabins; Wild Rose Ranch on the lake hires boats (see below).
The rules, which are unusual: from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend to 14 February, the trout limit is 2, brook trout included, and you must stop fishing once you have 2 trout in possession. From 15 February to the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, all trout are catch-and-release. The water inside the posted boundaries of Staley Springs, and within 100 yards of Hatchery Creek, is closed to fishing, and so is Hatchery Creek itself.
Confirmed with Idaho Fish and Game and Idaho Parks and Recreation, 3 November 2026 — 2025–2027 Idaho Fishing Seasons & Rules: “February 15 through Friday before Memorial Day Weekend – trout – catch-and-release, including Brook Trout”; “Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend through February 14 – trout limit is 2, Brook Trout counted in the trout limit”; “Fishing must cease after the 2-trout daily bag limit has been reduced to possession.” Henry’s Lake State Park: “Henrys Lake is a perfect location to ice fish in winter.” Note: an older Fish and Game press release describes a winter closure; the current rules book does not, and we follow the rules book.
Island Park Reservoir — kokanee and rainbows
What swims there: Idaho Fish and Game recommends kokanee and rainbow trout; its surveys also list brook and cutthroat trout, whitefish, chub and suckers. The rules: “No Special Rules for Island Park Reservoir” — the Upper Snake general limits apply: 6 trout, 25 brook trout, 15 kokanee, 25 whitefish. Below the dam, the Henry’s Fork from Island Park Dam to Harriman State Park is catch-and-release for trout except brook trout. How people fish it: from boats, from the bank in spring and autumn, and on the ice near the dam in winter. Boat ramps: the Forest Service lists ramps at Buttermilk, Island Park, Lakeside Lodge, McCrea Bridge, Mill Creek and the West End; McCrea Bridge Campground has a concrete ramp and docks and runs late May to early September.
Flathead Lake — two governments, one lake, Montana
The north half is Montana’s. The south half lies within the Flathead Indian Reservation, and needs a tribal licence.
Lake trout, and which licence you need
What swims there: the lake is managed above all for lake trout (mackinaw); the agencies also set limits for whitefish and yellow perch, and cutthroat trout are protected. How people fish it: mostly trolling and jigging for lake trout from boats — Flathead Lake Charters in Woods Bay runs half- and full-day trips. Boat access: the Tribes and FWP name, among others, Bigfork, Somers, Woods Bay and Elmo fishing access sites; Big Arm, Finley Point, Wayfarers, West Shore and Yellow Bay state parks; and the Tribes’ Blue Bay and Salish Point. FWP says West Shore and Yellow Bay each have “a deep-water boat launch that is typically ice-free throughout the winter months.” Towns: Polson at the south end, Bigfork at the north-east, Kalispell inland to the north.
The north half (Montana): a Montana licence. FWP’s 2026 rules: catch-and-release for cutthroat trout; lake trout 100 daily and in possession, only one over 36 inches, and every lake trout from 30 to 36 inches must be released; yellow perch no limit, only 10 a day over 10 inches. The south half (the Reservation): the Tribes require non-members to carry a Montana Conservation License, a Flathead Reservation fishing licence and a CSKT AIS Prevention Pass; the lake trout rule is the same 100-fish, 30–36-inch release rule. The Tribes also sell a special licence for the south half of the lake only. We could not read the tribal prices cleanly from the Tribes’ fee table today — buy from, and check with, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
Confirmed with Montana FWP and the CSKT, 3 November 2026 — FWP 2026 regulations, Flathead Lake north of the Reservation boundary: “Lake trout: 100 daily and in possession, only 1 over 36 inches, and all fish 30 to 36 inches must be released”; “A Flathead Indian Reservation Tribal Permit is required to fish on the southern portion of the lake.” CSKT 2026–2027 non-member regulations: anglers “must possess a valid Conservation License, a Flathead Reservation Fishing License and a CSKT AIS Prevention Pass.” Mack Days is sponsored by the Tribes; its 2026 rules say “All anglers must have a state and/or tribal fishing license; based on which part of the lake they choose to fish.”
Boats coming from outside: both FWP and the Tribes require boats that have been on waters outside the Flathead Basin to be inspected for invasive mussels before launching. Carry proof of the inspection.
Flaming Gorge and Strawberry — Utah
Flaming Gorge crosses into Wyoming; Strawberry sits on US 40 east of Heber City. Both are big, high reservoirs, and both are Utah’s famous still waters.
Flaming Gorge Reservoir — lake trout, kokanee, burbot and bass
What swims there: lake trout, kokanee salmon, rainbow and cutthroat trout, smallmouth bass and burbot, according to Utah DWR and Wyoming Game and Fish. How people fish it: Wyoming Game and Fish describes lake trout on 2–3 inch tubes, jigs or spoons tipped with cut bait in 50 to 100 feet of water, and burbot at night on glow jigs and through the ice; Utah DWR adds casting tube and hair jigs or trolling spoons and crankbaits from boat and shore. Marinas and ramps: the Forest Service names Buckboard Marina (seasonal, April to September), Cedar Springs Marina and Lucerne Valley Marina, and the Antelope Flat and Brinegar Crossing launch areas. Towns: Dutch John and Manila in Utah; Green River and Rock Springs in Wyoming.
The Utah rules for 2026: excluding lake trout, 4 trout or kokanee in total, no more than 3 of them kokanee; no limit on lake trout of 28 inches or less, and only one over 28 inches; no limit on burbot, and you must not release any burbot you catch; 3 bass in total; and only one daily limit at Flaming Gorge. Utah does not allow kokanee to be kept anywhere in the state from 10 September to 30 November. Linwood Bay is closed to night fishing from 15 October to 6 a.m. on the second Saturday of December. The Wyoming side has its own rules — there, Wyoming Game and Fish says smallmouth bass must be returned to the water immediately.
Which licence: a Utah licence covers the Utah side and a Wyoming licence the Wyoming side. A Utah or Wyoming resident who wants to fish both sides needs their own state’s resident licence plus a reciprocal permit from the other state. We found two different prices for Utah’s reciprocal permit on DWR’s own pages today ($59 in the 2026 guidebook, $30 on the fees page) — check with Utah DWR when you buy.
Confirmed with Utah DWR, Wyoming Game and Fish and the Forest Service, 3 November 2026 — 2026 Utah Fishing Guidebook: “No limit for lake trout 28 inches or less; only 1 lake trout may exceed 28 inches”; “No limit for burbot. Anglers must not release any burbot they catch”; “Anglers may not possess kokanee salmon at any waterbody statewide from Sept. 10 through Nov. 30.”
Strawberry Reservoir — cutthroat, rainbows and kokanee above Heber City
What swims there: cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and kokanee salmon, according to Utah DWR, which calls Strawberry the state’s “premier cold-water fishery” and encourages anglers to release cutthroat to keep it that way. How people fish it: the Forest Service lists shore, motorised boat, float tube, fly, spin, bait and ice fishing; DWR describes trolling flashers and bright squid lures for kokanee, lures and minnow imitations for cutthroat, and dough bait or worms from the shore for rainbows. Ramps: Soldier Creek and Renegade campgrounds both have boat launches (Renegade also a fish-cleaning station); Strawberry Bay Marina hires boats and slips. Nearest town: Heber City, about 23 to 27 miles west on US 40.
The rules: Strawberry has its own special regulations in the 2026 Utah Fishing Guidebook, including a cutthroat size rule and closures on the streams that feed it, and we could not read that section in full today — so we are not printing the limits. Check the guidebook or Utah DWR before you keep a fish. Two rules we did confirm: you may not fillet trout or salmon at Strawberry, and no kokanee may be kept from 10 September to 30 November.
Three states, three licences — plainly
Prices as printed by each agency on 3 November 2026. Check the current price when you buy.
Montana — Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Anyone 12 or older needs a licence; under 12, none. Most anglers need three things: a Conservation License, a Fishing License, and (from 16) an AIS Prevention Pass. FWP’s 2026 totals: non-resident 16 and over $31.50 for one day, $73.50 for five consecutive days, $117.50 for the season; resident 18–61 $15.00 for two consecutive days, $31.00 for the season. The season runs 1 March to the end of February. Non-residents bringing a boat also need a vessel prevention pass ($30 motorised, $10 non-motorised), and every boat entering Montana must stop for inspection. On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day weekends anyone may fish without a licence. The south half of Flathead Lake needs the tribal licence as well (above).
Idaho — Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Anyone 14 or older needs a licence. Non-resident: $22.75 for the first day plus $7.00 for each consecutive day bought at the same time; $108.00 for the year (a $10 access and depredation fee is added to annual licences); junior (14–17) $23.75. Resident: $11.50 first day, $30.50 annual. Buy online through Go Outdoors Idaho, by phone on 1-800-554-8685, at a licence vendor or a Fish and Game office. Every boat launched in Idaho needs an Idaho Invasive Species Fund sticker — $30 for a motorised boat registered in another state, $7 for a non-motorised one, sold at any Idaho state park.
Utah — Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Anyone 12 or older needs a licence. The 2026 Utah Fishing Guidebook prints these resident prices: 3-day $19, 7-day $30, 365-day $40 (ages 18–64). For non-residents, the guidebook and DWR’s fees page disagreed on the day we checked, so we are not printing a figure — check with Utah DWR when you buy. Every motorised boat must complete Utah’s Mussel-Aware Boater course and pay the annual AIS fee ($25 for non-residents) at STDofTheSea.utah.gov, and a boat last launched out of state or in mussel-infested water needs a professional decontamination.
Boat hire, marinas and shops we have checked
Every business below has its own website, which we opened on 3 November 2026. Descriptions come from their own sites. No ratings, no reviews copied from anywhere.
Kirkwood Marina — Hebgen Lake
On the north shore of Hebgen Lake, offering water activities in every season; the place FWP’s proposed list names for the winter ice-fishing tournament. Its site says it is closed for the season and gives a 2027 reopening date. kirkwoodmarina.com
Madison Arm Resort & Marina — Hebgen Lake
On the south shore of Hebgen’s Madison arm, about 8.5 miles from Yellowstone’s west gate; hires Lund fishing boats, pontoons and paddle craft. madisonarmresort.com
Blue Ribbon Flies — West Yellowstone
Fly shop and guide service in West Yellowstone, with guided trips on Hebgen Lake among them. blueribbonflies.com
The Tackle Shop — Ennis
Fly shop and Orvis-endorsed guide service on Main Street in Ennis, with its own Ennis Lake page and fishing report. thetackleshop.com
Jared’s Wild Rose Ranch — Henry’s Lake
Resort, RV park and marina on Henry’s Lake, with boat slips and boats to hire by the hour, half day or day, from small outboards to a nine-person pontoon. wildroseranch.com
Lakeside Lodge & Resort — Island Park Reservoir
Lodging on Island Park Reservoir with pontoon and fishing boat hire, kayaks and paddleboards, and a restaurant. lakesidelodgeandresort.com
Flathead Lake Charters — Woods Bay, near Bigfork
Half-day and full-day fishing charters on Flathead Lake. Ask which half of the lake they will fish, so you buy the right licence. flatheadlakecharters.com
Cedar Springs Marina — Flaming Gorge
Full-service marina two miles from Flaming Gorge Dam: slips, fuel, boat hire, guided fishing and lake tours. cedarspringsmarina.com
Strawberry Bay Marina — Strawberry Reservoir
Boat and slip hire, fuel, lodging, a lakeside grill and general store, and guided open-water and ice fishing. strawberrybay.com
Also on the water but not checked by us today: Lucerne Valley and Buckboard marinas on Flaming Gorge (named by the Forest Service; Lucerne Valley’s website would not let us read it) and the marinas around Polson. For river guides across the region, see our fishing outfitters directory.
Where to stay
Every town below is pinned to its own Trip.com city number, so the button opens that town’s hotels — not Ennis, Texas, or Manila in the Philippines.
The towns that serve each lake
Hebgen, Quake and Henry’s Lake: West Yellowstone. Henry’s Lake and Island Park Reservoir: Island Park. Ennis Lake: Ennis. Flathead Lake: Polson for the south half, Bigfork for the north-east shore, Kalispell for the most choice. Flaming Gorge: Dutch John by the dam, Manila on the western shore. Strawberry: Heber City.
Three or four of you? Take a house, not four hotel rooms. A cabin at Island Park or a house at Polson gives you a kitchen for the early breakfast, a freezer for the lake trout and kokanee you keep, and one bill instead of four. Our vacation homes guide has the questions to ask before you pay.
West Yellowstone hotels › Ennis hotels › Island Park hotels › Polson hotels › Bigfork hotels › Kalispell hotels › Dutch John hotels › Manila hotels › Heber City hotels ›
Our Montana guide › Our Idaho guide › Our Utah guide › Henry’s Fork fly fishing › Green River fly fishing ›
Questions
Which fishing licence do I need for Hebgen Lake, Henry’s Lake and Flaming Gorge?
Hebgen Lake is in Montana, so you need Montana’s Conservation License, Fishing License and, from age 16, the AIS Prevention Pass; a non-resident 16 or older pays $31.50 for one day or $117.50 for the season in 2026. Henry’s Lake is in Idaho and needs an Idaho licence from age 14: $22.75 for a non-resident’s first day, plus $7.00 for each extra consecutive day. Flaming Gorge needs a Utah licence on the Utah side and a Wyoming licence on the Wyoming side. Check the price with each state when you buy.
What are the rules at Henry’s Lake?
From the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend to 14 February the trout limit is 2, brook trout included, and you must stop fishing once you have 2 trout in possession. From 15 February to the Friday before Memorial Day weekend all trout are catch-and-release. The posted Staley Springs area, the water within 100 yards of Hatchery Creek, and Hatchery Creek itself are closed. That is Idaho Fish and Game’s 2025-2027 rule book, checked 3 November 2026.
Do I need a tribal permit to fish Flathead Lake?
Only on the south half. The south half of Flathead Lake lies within the Flathead Indian Reservation, and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes require non-members to carry a Montana Conservation License, a Flathead Reservation fishing licence and a CSKT AIS Prevention Pass. The north half needs a Montana licence. On both halves, lake trout are 100 a day, only one over 36 inches, and every lake trout from 30 to 36 inches must be released.
How many lake trout can I keep at Flaming Gorge?
On the Utah side in 2026: no limit on lake trout of 28 inches or less, and only one longer than 28 inches. Separately, 4 trout or kokanee in total, no more than 3 of them kokanee, and only one daily limit at Flaming Gorge. Burbot have no limit and must not be released. No kokanee may be kept anywhere in Utah from 10 September to 30 November.
Can I ice fish these lakes?
Several, yes. FWP lists a proposed ice-fishing tournament on Hebgen Lake, Idaho’s state park calls Henry’s Lake a perfect place to ice fish, Idaho Fish and Game says anglers ice fish near the dam at Island Park Reservoir, and the Forest Service lists ice fishing at Strawberry and Flaming Gorge. Ice is never guaranteed: ask locally the day you go.
What we could not check today, and will not pretend to have
The part of a fishing page most sites leave out.
Five honest gaps
Strawberry Reservoir’s limits. We could not read the Strawberry section of Utah’s 2026 guidebook in full, so its cutthroat rule, trout limit and tributary closures are not printed here. Check with Utah DWR.
Utah non-resident licence prices, and the price of the Flaming Gorge reciprocal permit: DWR’s guidebook and its fees page gave different figures on the same day.
Flathead Lake tribal licence prices. The Tribes’ fee table would not read cleanly. Check with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
Species lists for Quake Lake and Ennis Lake. FWP’s online species pages would not load for us; what we say is limited to what the regulations and the Forest Service print.
Ice. Ice is never guaranteed and none of these agencies certifies it. Ask locally the day you go.