Fishing the Flathead Indian Reservation Overview below Map
See also...
Regional Fly Shops and Guide Service
The majestic Mission Mountains rise straight up from the
valley floor as the highway passes through the Flathead Indian Reservation and
the towns of Arlee, St. Ignatius and Polson. A few miles north of Polson,
visitors will come to a crest and be struck by the size and beauty of Flathead
Lake, the largest natural lake west of the Great Lakes. Highway 93 follows the
east shore of the lake to Kalispell, or travelers may choose Highway 35 to
Bigfork and then reconnect with Highway 93 at the head of the lake. From
Kalispell, travelers to Glacier National Park may route themselves on Highway
93 to Whitefish, take the mid-way Highway 2 or pick up Highway 35 which turns
into Route 206 to Columbia Falls.
The Flathead Indian Reservation was established July 16,
1885, as part of the Hellgate Treaty.
The Salish and Kootenai tribes were forced to move to the Flathead
Indian Reservation. Encompassing 1.2 million acres, the reservation has as its
northern boundary Flathead Lake, which is almost 27 miles long and 16 miles
wide at its widest point. To the east the reservation is bordered by the
towering Mission Mountains. Across the rolling pothole country to the west, the
reservation is bordered by the Cabinet Mountains. Although originally including
portions of the Bitterroot Valley, those lands were lost in subsequent
revisions of the treaty, which was typical of Indian treaties in general.
Fishing on the reservation requires a special tribal stamp and a recreation
permit. The reservation offers excellent angling opportunities for warm-water
species such as perch, bass and pike as well as all the major trout species.
The reservation offers alpine lakes, streams, ponds and
reservoirs. Tribal wildlife managers continually work to upgrade the quality of
riparian habitat for enhancement of native salmonids. The Jocko River is
testimony to their efforts, providing good fishing for browns, cutthroats and
rainbows. Local fishermen boast that Kicking Horse and Ninepipe Reservoir offer
some of the best largemouth bass fishing in the region. And there is always the
prospect of landing a 20-pound pike on the lower Flathead River or hiking into
the Mission Mountains for native westslope cutthroats, brook trout and
rainbows. The Flathead Reservation offers over a million acres of fishing
opportunities. Stop in at Ronan Sports and Western in Ronan for fishing
information on the reservation.
