Mystic Lake/Gallatin ice fishing trip!

[fishhunter85]

I am planning a trip this coming weekend to Mystic Lake in the Gallatin from Friday thru Sunday! Anyone make the long haul to get in there this season to ice fish? I'm hoping it's fishing decent. Found one old thread on it from 2010 on here but wondered if it could be added to the reports and conditions page. Any input is appreciated! I'll post a report when I get back. Tight lines! FH

[BackCountry Kyle]

Wow man, Good for you. That is a bit of a haul! How far do they plow up Sourdough (if at all)? Are you renting the cabin? No input regarding the lake, I'm sure the fish are getting hungry up there tho  As for adding it to the conditions page there is a thread on there for just that sorta thing stickied up on top. Just ask Bean and he'll get it done for ya, might not get much action tho. You are in a small group of icefisherman really willing to put in some work for an ice fishing adventure. I look forward to hearing about it 

[fishhunter85]

Thanks for the reply backcountry Kyle that's cool you responded! We are staying at the cabin for two nights. Going with a buddy Dagger on this site that has been there before. I'm always up for a challenge and this will be my best wubter one so far. I'll let you know how we did when we return. Maybee see you on Hebgen for some late season ice fishing! I know I'm not ready to put the short sticks away yet! FH

[BackCountry Kyle]

Yeah Dagger and I have shared a couple PMs about spots and conditions. Not gonna lie, I'm a little jealous,... I've never stayed up there and I'll bet you have the whole place to yourselves. Really nice to have a decently furnished cabin waiting for you too! I'll be here so just let me know if you get this way! Stay safe and good luck 

[PerchAssault]

Man...that place holds a SPECIAL part of my heart...I put my ten days during bow season in every September at the Mystic Lake Cabin from  1995-2004...I know that country like the back of my hand...I am going to have to consider a trip in during ice fishing some year...depending on how far back the cabin journals go...you might be regaled with stories of big bulls kicking my ASS during those years...enjoy!

Mike

[bill540]

following, I am curious to see  the conditions of the lake. It has been on my bucket list for awhile now.

[fishhunter85]

Well it was an awsome trip into mystic but not awsome fishing. Ice was good with 20 inches total pack. Lots of layers of ice and water. At least 8 good inches at the bottom of it all. Bottomed out the hand auger. Fished off a good point in 20 fow Saturday for 6 hours and didn't even mark a fish on the sonar. Snowed hard all morning and the wind was blowing strong or we would have moved the ice hut to try somewhere different. The cabin is awsome but the journals are no longer there The hike in pulling the sled took 7.5 hours on groomed cc ski road all the way in there. Last 300 yards to cabin fell through without my snowshoes on into waist deep snow multiple times but made it in at 5:15 pm Friday. The hike out was a breeze and the ten miles only took just over 4 hours down sourdough. Saw wolf tracks, piles of bloody deer fur everywhere and a nice bull elk bedded way up in an opening above the lake. Saw no one up there from Friday thru Sunday. Lower sourdough was a zoo coming out. With the fresh snow there was skiers everywhere the last 5 miles out. Great trip Id do it again but fish different spots to find the fish.

[PerchAssault]

AWESOME report '85!  We used to ride mountains bikes up that road, carrying full packs, and it would take us 3-4 hours.  Made the mistake of taking the "trail" with the bikes one year, from the bridge..."The Wall of Death" trail...LOL. Only made that mistake once, well, one other time with a horse but that was pretty tame...

Too bad about the journals, we used to LOVE reading others adventures and penning our own and understanding just how special that place is/was to so many...I worked thru a LOT of BS that was going on in my life in those years, sitting on the front porch, breathing in lifes answers to questions as only the wind in the trees can deliver, punctuated by the call of a Bull Elk and the splash of a trouts tail...I've always wanted to go back and ice fish it...but I will say SCREW THAT LOL!!!!

Mike

[BackCountry Kyle]

That sounds like an adventure for sure! So sourdough is a cc ski trail in the winter!, ah ha! I thought you might be taking machines up there,.. how naïve of me  I know my oldest boy was competing in the JNQ event in Bozeman this weekend for his Nordic ski team, so I can only imagine how many skiers you ran into,... as well as some of the looks you got walking out!!  Well again, Good for you and Dagger. I'm sure it was a lot of work, its too bad beer has to weigh so much, but it's beautiful area and some memories you can't get from sitting in the living room!