Reservoir · Mixed · Montana, US

Ennis Lake

Ennis Lake terrain map

Ennis Lake is a shallow Madison-river reservoir, and shallow water cooks fast — by high summer it warms up to the point where it's a real welfare concern, not just a slow bite.

Fair · Rainbow
Balanced Leech · 8-12
Fairlive now
Reasonable autumn fishing likely at Ennis Lake
Good wave on — drift country. A useful wave. Work the productive shore.
56% confidence

Ennis Lake is often best in spring through autumn.

What moved it
  • WindS 11 km/hLight breeze
Today's fly
Balanced Leech
Balanced Leech8-12
Proven pattern for this period
Conditions on the water
Estimate
Wind
Light breeze
S 11 km/h
N
S
from the south
Wave20 cm ripple
Water temp11.7°C
Air temp13°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1010 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

No gauge on this water — readings are regional estimates from weather, not a live gauge.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
Current conditions suit Ennis Lake well for autumn tactics. The ripple should help fish move and feed more confidently.
Where
Start with Viva (10-12) on a figure-of-eight with occasional strip. Early in the day, try buzzers on a slow figure-of-eight or a booby on a fast-sink line near the bottom. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. When no hatch is visible, a buzzer team — black stripped quill on the point, attractor or pearl-rib on the top dropper — is the default starting point on any UK stillwater.
The plan
Plan A

Start with Viva (10-12) on a figure-of-eight with occasional strip. Early in the day, try buzzers on a slow figure-of-eight or a booby on a fast-sink line near the bottom. Rainbows respond to more active retrieves — try short strips between pauses. When no hatch is visible, a buzzer team — black stripped quill on the point, attractor or pearl-rib on the top dropper — is the default starting point on any UK stillwater.

Plan B

A fry-imitating pattern stripped through the margins can save a blank in autumn.

Watch for

Keep an eye on changing conditions — wind shifts and cloud breaks can trigger short feeding spells.

Either bank or boat

Good ripple suits both bank and boat. Bank: work inflows, dam walls, and points. Boat: broadside drift covering wind lanes.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey(1)

Hatch predictions

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Through the year
0–3 scale · September highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Gray DrakeHatch
2
2
CallibaetisHatch
2
3
3
3
2
Hexagenia (Western)Hatch
2
2
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2

Numbers are intensity 0 (none) to 3 (peak) — a guide, not a guarantee.

Ranked for today
Rainbow fly box
CH
Chironomid
12-16 · Pattern
Proven pattern for this period
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Montana stillwater regulations — check FWP
  • Shallow and temperature-sensitive.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
100%
Cloud100%
Wind100%
Temp100%

Conditions are ideal for Ennis Lake — wind, cloud and temperature all line up.

Fishing better nearby · 5
About this water

Ennis Lake is a shallow Madison-river reservoir, and shallow water cooks fast — by high summer it warms up to the point where it's a real welfare concern, not just a slow bite. It holds browns and rainbows, and it fishes best in the cool shoulders of spring and fall when the water still has some life in it. Work the inflow channels with a leech or a chironomid in those windows, and when the lake gets warm in midsummer, do the fish a favor and go somewhere else.

  • Reservoir
  • Mixed
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic lifeImpaired
What this classification means

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Ennis Lake' (MT41F005_030), 2021 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Not Supporting. Listed impairment causes: Habitat Alterations, Hydrologic Alteration, Metals Other Than Mercury. This is a Clean Water Act assessment-unit classification (the US analogue of WFD), not a live reading.

Status is for the Clean Water Act assessment unit covering this reach.

EPA ATTAINS (Clean Water Act) · MT41F005_030

Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Cloud cover (cloud) suits the fishery well.
  • Temperature (cool) is in the sweet spot for autumn fishing.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • Trout Third Saturday of MayLast day of November
Related guides
Booking & contacts