Page 58 - Flathead Beacon // 11.4.15

EXPLORE THE ELUSIVE, NON-NATIVE GOLDEN TROUT
IN THE 1900S, A FEW MONTANANS decided that golden trouts were some pretty sweet-looking sh, and so decided to introduce the Californian trout to the Big Sky state. The transplants are beautiful – olive with golden anks, they shine in the water. They’re also marked by a smattering of black dots and black parr marks skewered by a bright red band down each side.
Originally hailing from the Sierra Nevada, golden trout thrive in waters between 50-60 degrees and are often found in remote alpine lakes at elevations up to 10,000 feet.
Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks, which calls the trout “one of the prettiest sh that swims,” estimates only 20 bodies of water in Montana hold sizable populations. Accord- ing to FWP, the majority of the population likely lives further south, in the Beartooth Mountains, but they are also said to inhabit a small lake east of McDonald Peak in the Mis- sion Mountains.
Access the lake via Kraft Creek Road on Highway 83 from the trailhead to Turquoise Lake, which is roughly 11 miles in. Hike to Heart Lake, about ve miles from the trail- head, then continue on, following the some- what patchy trail.
But get ‘em while they’re hot: The fabled
Flathead trout live at elevations high enough
to have already seen their rst snowfall, and
the rugged lands will soon be inaccessible to
hikers. The view of Glacier Lake and the Swan range along the hike to Heart Lake in the Mission Mountain Wilderness. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
BY CLARE MENZEL
GREAT AMERICANS
BREW & FREAK 3-7PM
the flathead’s best rock
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NOVEMBER 4, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM