Hebgen Lake enjoys a very solid fishing reputation. It is said to be one of the best dry-fly lakes in North America. The rainbow and brown trout in the lake also have a very sizeable reputation – they are typically measured in at 14 to 16 inches for the rainbow, and 16 to 18 inches for brown, and these are just average measurements, which means you can get bigger. Indeed, many anglers have often nabbed 20-inch rainbow mega-trout – and this from a trolling boat, which doesn’t exactly take plenty of angling skill!
With the lake right in the proximity of your Hebgen Lake cabin rental, you can literally wake up, get some grub and just walk those few grassy steps over to launch your boat. The beauty of convenience is an understatement here. And the Hebgen Lake marina provides you many more conveniences with motorized fishing boat rentals that come with life vests and cushions, gas and paddles.
On the water, you have the option to fish the expanse of the lake, which is large enough to be enough actually, but some fishermen like to explore the tributaries that enter into the lake, including the Madison River flowing out of the Yellowstone National Park.
If you come prepared with an idea of where the bite is, you’ll be even better off. What’s to know is that the fish move around depending on the season. Generally speaking the best time to fish is from mid-May to late July. In late spring, younger fish start learning how to feed at the top of the lake, creating great opportunities for dry fly fishing. By July, the fish are by the weed beds.
Get familiar with the hatches on the lake too, because the fish will follow them – and they migrate through the months. Basically there are three big ones. The Chironomids emerge from late May until mid-July in the open water, while the Trico emerge late spring through August in shallow bays by the shoreline. Fishing at the Trico Hatch is particularly sensible for short-range casting. The Callibaetis come out mid-June through August by the weedbeds, and Caddisfly are in the bays and inlets all around Hebgen Lake.
Fishing at Hebgen Lake can be a delightful experience for you and your entire family and can also help create some fond memories and great bonding moments to last you a lifetime.