Upland Natural Lake · Mixed · Montana

Quake Lake

Earthquake Lake venue image

Quake Lake is what happened when the 1959 earthquake dropped a mountainside into the Madison and dammed it overnight.

Marginal · Rainbow
Callibaetis Nymph · 12-16
A patient day, if you fancy it
Good wave on — drift country. Slow going — pick your moments and do not force it.
44% confidence
limited data
What moved it
  • WindE 6 km/hCalm
Today's fly
CN
Callibaetis Nymph12-16
High-confidence seasonal pick
Conditions on the water
Live gauge
Wind
Calm
E 6 km/h
N
E
from the east
WaveRipple
Water temp
Air temp15°C
CloudBroken
Pressure1020 hPa
Rain · recent0.0 mm

Some readings unavailable — check directly before fishing.

How to fish it · for Rainbow
When
No strong hatch signals at the moment — general searching tactics should work best. The ripple is helpful — fish should move onto the feed and a slow-drifted team or single wet will cover water well.
Where
Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.
The plan
Plan A

Set up a broadside drift and cover the water systematically. Work a bushy searching pattern on the bob and drop a contrasting nymph on the point.

Plan B

If the main plan is not working, switch to a smaller, more imitative pattern fished slower and deeper. A change of drift angle can also make a difference.

Watch for

Evening tends to be the best period in summer — stay late if you can for a sedge or spinner fall.

Boat — drift

A gentle ripple is ideal for drifting — broadside drift covering the wind lanes should be productive.

Sub-surface · on the nymphunder the surface

Hatch predictions

Top nymph shown — see all 3 guilds with Pro.

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Beyond the hatch · worth watchingambient prey

Hatch predictions

Top prey shown — see all 3 with Pro.

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Through the year
0–3 scale · July highlighted
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Trout seasonSeason
1
2
2
2
2
2
1
Black MidgeHatch
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Flying AntsHatch
1
1
Gray DrakeHatch
1
1
CallibaetisHatch
1
2
2
2
1

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

Ranked for today
Rainbow fly box
Permits & access
Permit required — see local rules.
  • Montana stillwater regulations — check FWP.
What's coming
Plan ahead
5-day outlook
Condition match
91%
Cloud70%
Wind100%
Temp100%

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

Other water nearby · 5
Gallery · 1
  1. Terrain map of the venue
    Terrain map
About this water

Quake Lake is what happened when the 1959 earthquake dropped a mountainside into the Madison and dammed it overnight. The drowned timber still stands, gray and skeletal, and wild browns and rainbows live in and around it. Fishing here is atmospheric in a slightly haunted way and technical besides — work the edges of the dead trees, and keep half a mind on the snags, because they'll grab a fly or a leader the second you stop paying attention.

  • Lake
  • Mixed
Water quality · US Clean Water Act
  • Aquatic lifeNot assessed
What this classification means

EPA ATTAINS assessment unit 'Quake Lake' (MT41F005_020), 2021 Integrated Report. Aquatic Life use: Not Assessed. 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_020

Why this score
  • Wind conditions (ripple) closely match what this water fishes best in.
  • Temperature (cool) is in the sweet spot for summer fishing.
Directions
Seasons & zones
  • TroutThird Saturday of MayLast day of November
Related guides
Booking & contacts