Fishing

Hebgen Lake, a reservoir on the world-famous Madison River, is one of Montana’s premier fishing lakes with rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout averaging 15-20″ and 3-pounders being caught regularly. Ice moves off the lake in late April and by mid-May the trout are on the rise from dawn to dusk. Fishing continues through late fall, with the middle of the summer being the most challenging time to fish the lake. There are many ways to fish Hebgen Lake in the open water season, whether casting from the north shore, fly fishing in a tube, trolling from a pontoon or fishing boat.

Boating and Watersports

Those challenging summer fishing months are ideal for other boating and watersports on Hebgen. With rich history stemming from the building of the dam on the Madison River in 1915 to the earthquake of 1959, the lake is a relaxing and rejuvenating place to cruise the shoreline, looking for wildlife and enjoying nature. For more excitement, pulling the family and friends on a tube or waterskis is a favorite for Hebgen regulars. For even more active fun, paddling around on a stand-up board or kayak works great on Hebgen, especially taking off from Kirkwood Marina. And, for those sailors out there, the timing of the winds are relatively predictable. Check in with the Hebgen Lake Yacht Club for more information about sailing activities on Hebgen Lake.