Flathead help please

[Tacojuan]

Hey guys I'm planning on going to flathead lake for my bachelor party but I need some help. I'd like so input on where to get a room, I looked into kalispell and the rooms are pretty cheap but I'd like to be closer to the lake. If anyone knows of any cabins right on the lake that won't break the bank, that would be really helpful. Also, I don't have the slightest clue about how to approach fishing this lake since I've never been there and have also never caught a laker. I have a quad but I'm not sure whether or not I need to bring it or even if the ice will be good enough to support it in mid January. On a side note, if anyone knows of a place where a small group of gentlemen can enjoy themselves I'd appreciate that also (pm me on this). Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

[missoulafish]

odds are the only ice, if there's ice,  will be on the south end. Polson will be your best bet then to find lodging:) Its a decent walk ( not terrible probably a mile tops) to get to 5' of water and theres no structure that will hold macs, they will be cruising so one spot is as good as any other. Tip ups and jigging are the ticket.

[Idahogator]

            A small group of gentlemen can enjoy themselves at a bachelor party.

    Where have I heard that line before?     

    What could possibly happen?            Trust me !     


    Wishing you the best, Tacojuan and congratulations, Sir.   

[Tacojuan]

Thanks guys I guess I'll have to play it by ear. I'm starting to think January is a pretty awful time of year for a bachelor party. The original idea was to go to the Columbia river gorge on a guided walleye trip but that sounds like a bust too. I'd like to do some fishing and check out some good craft breweries. If anyone has any suggestions, please throw them out there.

[coldcreekchris]

staying up near lakeside could be nice..if there are guys who like to ski..close to blacktail mtn..also depending on ice..you could hit lake mary ronan for perch and salmon..and maybe use your quad if ice is set up by then.

[pmmpete]

As Missoulafish said, your best bet, or only realistic hope, for finding ice on Flathead Lake is East Bay, which is the southeast corner of the lake.  But in many winters there is only ice there for a couple of weeks, and it may be scary thin.  Then a north wind brews up and busts up all the ice.  If you're lucky the ice may be pretty good, which in East Bay means 4"-6", and will last a month and a half or so.

So if you want to take your buddies ice fishing, I suggest going to one of the lakes or reservoirs around Flathead Lake, and targeting perch or whatever that lake is known for.  Call Dick Zimmer at Zimmer Tackle and ask his advice.  He knows all and sees all.

But to enjoy ice fishing, you need to be dressed for standing around outside in the cold all day.  Are your buddies prepared for that?  If not, perhaps you should find some other source of entertainment.

The only public access to East Bay is the Ducharme Fishing Access.  Don't go out on the ice in East Bay unless you have reliable reports of at least 3"-4" of ice, and there are a lot of tracks going out on the ice.  If there is reliable ice in East Bay, you could fish for either lake trout or perch.  If you want to fish for lake trout, head north from Ducharme.  You'll be on a mud flat at first, do don't even think about drilling any holes in the ice until you are at least a quarter mile from the fishing access, or you'll totally dull your auger.  Wait until you start seeing holes in the ice drilled by other ice anglers.  You can catch big lake trout in surprisingly shallow water in East Bay, but I suggesting hiking out until you're in at least 5 feet of water.  Put a 5"-7" northern pikeminnow (squawfish for you less politically correct individuals) or a big hunk of cut bait on a quickstrike rig containing two treble hooks, and suspend it about 6 inches above the bottom on a tip-up or a heavy ice fishing rod.  Or jig with a spoon or other lure, preferably with a small piece of cut bait.  Wait.  If nothing happens, wander off in some direction, drill some more holes, and try again.  The fish move around East Bay in schools in a relatively random manner.  You may not get anything for several hours, and then several flags will pop up within a short time.  One of the cool things about fishing for lake trout on East Bay is that if you watch down the hole, you can see great big lake trout cruise by your bait or lure, come back, grab the bait, and take off with it.  Usually you ice fish for lake trout in deep water, and never get to see them until you get them to your hole.

Here are a couple pictures of lake trout fishing on that scary thin East Bay ice. Click on the thumbnails to see a bigger picture.

[Tacojuan]

Thanks for the help, I’m not sure if the whole fishing trip bachelor party is going to work. At this point I’m considering scrapping the whole idea of a bachelor party all together. My groomsmen all have different interests and fishing is about the only one that aligns. With this group if someone doesn’t get what they want they’ll just make it miserable for everyone else. If you guys have any suggestions let me know because I’m out of ideas.

[icefishmissoula]

I would recommend Georgetown lake for an ice fishing bachelorer party. Lots of cabins around and a brewery in phillipsburg. Also the ski resort is close.

[Tacojuan]

With this group if someone doesn’t get what they want they’ll just make it miserable for everyone else.


Now that sounds like marriage.  Ha.  I am just playing around.  I see your from billings.  I don't know where all your bachelor party pals are coming from but you guys could go snag some kokes out of Deadmans Basin.  Or head a little further west to White Sulfur Springs.  A few different waters to try plus hot springs and a brewery all much closer to you than Flathead.  Whatever you decide good luck and congratulations.   

The problem is that I’ve been everywhere within 5 hours of billings as far as breweries go and I go to white sulphur springs probably 10 times a year to fish, ski, and get away from billings. I just wanted to do something new and I’ve never been to flathead. Honestly I’d be cool with going to fort peck but a friend of mine is dead set on going to a strip club, which I don’t really care about. There’s 7 breweries within an hour of flathead and a couple of gentlemen’s clubs in the zoo. I still have a couple months to figure it out, thanks for the suggestions.