Lake trout are the largest trout species in Montana. They are native to North America, primarily Canada and Alaska, but also live in select Montana waters. They enjoy cold, oxygen rich water. Consequently, they grow slowly, are late to mature, and can live up to 60 years old, which can make them extremely susceptible to overfishing in areas. Some Montana waters have a unique abundance of high-fat food sources, which allows lake trout to flourish and grow to massive proportions. Due to their size and diet, the Montana lake trout are fun to catch and put up a good fight.
Fishing for lake trout is excellent throughout the spring, summer, and fall. The preferred method is vertical jigging with ultra light spinning rods. However, there are excellent fly fishing opportunities for lake trout in the late fall.
