T^ki. Tmiit 



Lake trout, also known as mackinaw, are actually a char. They prefer to live in cold, deep lakes 

 and ^wn in 10-20 feet in water in late fall. ITiey broadcast their eggs over gravel and rubble. 

 Lake trout eat insects when young but become highly predacious after they reach 12"-14". 



Lake trout readily hit angler's lures but their deq>-dwelling habits require some special techniques. 

 Lake trout commonly reach 2-5 pounds but can grow to more than 20 pounds. Small lake trout 

 are delicious but larger lake trout become very oily. Lake trout can over-reproduce and become 

 stunted. 



Brook Trout 



Brook trout are a char, a relative of lake trout. They spawn in the fall in lakeshore spring areas 

 or in small streams. Th^ can over-rq)roduce and become stunted. Brookies usually range from 

 8"-12" in length. 



Brook trout eat insects, zooplankton and small ftsh. They are readily catchable and quite tasty. 

 They tend to outcompete many other gamefish. 



Tjirgfrnoiith Ba,sis 



Largemouth bass is not native to Montana but was introduced into the Flathead River system in 

 1898 by the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. 



Spawning occurs in late spring to early summer, once water temperatures reach about 60° 

 Fahrenheit (F). Largemouth bass spawn by fanning a shallow depression in sand or mud near 

 aquatic vegetation. Female bass produce about 5,000-7,000 eggs per pound of body weight. 

 Male bass taid the nests, fanning Ae ^gs and protecting the young and fry from predators. Bass 

 frequent shallow water with heavy cover such as weeds and logs. The largemouth 's diet includes 

 zooplankton, insects, and fish. They are somewhat easier to catch than smallmouth bass but 

 probably because they are in higher densities in TCL lakes. Northwest Montana is at the 

 northern-most range for bass so they are slow growing. They commonly reach 12"-16'' in 5-8 

 years, although some grow to 3-5 pounds and 15 years of age. 



Smallmmifh lla« 



Smallmouth bass are not native to Montana, but were introduced into the Clark Fork, Flathead 

 and Kootenai River drainages in western Montana. They were first introduced into Montana in 

 1910. 



The smallmouth bass spawn in rock or graveled substrates along lakeshores from mid-April 

 through July. SmallnKxiths prefer cool waters and rocks and rubble for cover. Smallmouths are 

 more temperature dependent than largemouths and they become inactive at high water 

 temperatures and below 50° F. The smallmouth grows commonly to lengths of 7-16 inches and 



