Lakers at Mystic Lake (Bozeman not beartooths)

[jriepe]

Has anybody ever caught any lake trout out of mystic lake up sourdough creek south of bozeman? FWP says they are in there but I've only ever seen cuttys and brookies... If there really are lakers in there I might have to make the ski up and give it a try! Thanks

[Wenger]

Where did you see that FWP said there are lakers up there? 

I seriously doubt that there are any lakers in any of the high mountain lakes as they would have to have been stocked somehow.  There are native lakers in Elk Lake up in the Centennial country and plenty down in Buffalo Bill.  Those would be the closest to BZN.

[jriepe]

In the mountain lake report; http://fwp.mt.gov/regions/r3/mountainlakes.html and here from MSU- https://scholarworks.montana.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1/5916/31762100152063.pdf?sequence=1

fwp also says they are in sailor lake in tobacco roots but I've never fished there...

[Wenger]

Interesting. Thanks for the links.

They say they are wild fish which would mean they are a remnant population as Elk lake lakers are.  I would guess in summer they would be deep and not accessible to fly fishing until they spawn in the fall.  But I have never heard of anyone catching one there and I have only caught cutts and brookies.

Keep us posted!

[jriepe]

Will do- thinking I am going to have to ski up there and find out for myself. I had the same thought that they wouldn't be accessible in the summer and therefore they probably don't get fished considering the cost of entry in the winter. I've never heard of anyone ice fishing there but I thought I would ask and see...

[Wenger]

May want to call region 3 HQ and ask the biologist?

[jriepe]

Good call will do!

[born4theoutdoors]

Years back in the summer I caught a few Lakers out of Sailor Lake

[WilleyBooger]

I caught two lake trout in Mystic Lake back in the early 1990's - I do not known if they are still in there, or not. BTW - those two were caught while soft water fishing, not ice fishing.

[jriepe]

Wb where on the lake did you catch them? I'm sure the winter patterns are different but might give me a starting point.... any size to those lakers way back when? thanks so much!

[WilleyBooger]

Both were caught while I was fishing off of the west shore about halfway down the lake - by west shore, I mean the side that the cabin is not on. One was about 22" and the other 17 or 18".

[jriepe]

Awesome! Thanks so much for the info.

[fishhunter85]

I hiked in there a few winters ago and stayed at the cabin. We fished all day through the ice and didn’t get a bite. I have heard people have seen dead Lakers up there nearing 10 pounds on the shoreline in the past few years. I would bet there are a few still in there!