Hyalite Lake is a favorite destination for many tourists and locals. This beautiful lake, in the mountains south of Bozeman, is used for the town’s water supply. The water level varies as the seasons change. The cool, clean, clear waters flow from the rocky, hyalite peaks that rise above the lake.
Currently, the lake is full to the brim. The boat ramps are underwater. One pair of boaters had trouble sliding their boat off at the ramps top, since it is not very steep. They backed up as far as they could and tried to keep their truck out of the water.
Everyone was at the lake on a Thursday! There was even a bus full of kids. Most of the campsites around the lake were taken. There seemed to be sites open at the Langohr campground, further down the mountain.
There must have been 40-50 people fishing. I never saw anyone catch anything. I hiked up the trail to do my fishing and was all alone. I used a small panther martin spinner and caught a dozen or so 4–9-inch cutties. The state may have stocked. The schedule says that they plan to stock it in June. I never saw any fish in the water.
My other trick, using a slip bobber and an ice jig with a worm, had some bites but they all seemed like small nibblers. I managed to get a nice hike in but did not carry out any keepers. It rained, was cold, crowded, and the squitos were around, but I had fun anyway. I want to put in a boat and use a fish finder to locate the bigger fish. Trolling may work but I have heard guys talk about jigging at depth for their catch.
There are plenty of places to hike and exercise. Please clean up after yourself and your dogs.
Montana Grant
