Georgetown Lake

Georgetown Lake sits at 6,375 feet in the Anaconda-Pintler country of western Montana — a shallow, weedy 2,800-acre reservoir with exceptional rainbow trout populations and some of the finest chironomid fishing in the state. The lake's shallow, productive character creates conditions that remind experienced stillwater anglers of the famous British Columbia Interior lakes that defined the modern chironomid stillwater tradition. Rainbow Trout average 15–20 inches throughout Georgetown Lake's productive weed beds, with large fish over 24 inches caught each season by skilled float tube anglers working suspended chironomid patterns at precise depths. The lake's shallowness (maximum 25 feet) means the fish are never far from the surface and chironomid suspender fishing can be productive in as little as 6–10 feet of water during peak emergences. Georgetown Lake's chironomid hatches are legendary among Montana stillwater anglers — the lake produces massive emergences from ice-out through September, and matching the size, color, and depth of the naturals is the primary key to success. The lake's rainbow trout have seen considerable pressure over the years, making precise pattern matching increasingly important on weekends and through the peak summer season. The Anaconda area provides an interesting cultural backdrop — the historic copper smelting town has reinvented itself as an outdoor recreation hub, and the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness rising to the south adds dramatic mountain scenery to the Georgetown Lake experience.