w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m
59
ROCK CREEK
The first fishing off the
highway presents itself a
few miles from Red Lodge.
Rock Creek cascades
down from the Beartooth
Plateau, a large and high
backcountry plateau east
of the highway. A small
creek, making it hardly as
popular as other fisheries
in Montana, but that's the
point. An angler can cast
without the worry of meet-
ing another angler and find small to medium sized
trout in the pools. The fishery can be challenging as
it isn't the easiest. Most of your effort will lead to a
fish that won't break the ruler, but the kaleidoscope
of color that each trout brought to hand is worthy
of a few casts. A night
camping near the creek is
possible at the many tent
sites along its banks, and
can be a fun experience
both for the solo angler
and the angling family.
GARDNER LAKE
Before the next fishable
body of water from the
highway, a full disclaimer
needs to be addressed:
the highway isn't solely
in Montana, as it shares much of its pavement with
Wyoming. Though the highway does curve back
into Montana, leading down to Cooke City and into
Yellowstone National Park, both a Montana and Wy-
oming fishing license are required to fish this high-
SEE POTENTIAL IN A LANDSCAPE MOSTLY FROZEN NINE MONTHS A YEAR.
