Eureka | Kalispell | Noxon | Ronan | Rural Waters | Thompson Falls | Troy | Whitefish

For more information, call the FWP Kalispell office at (406) 752-5501 .

Eureka

Eureka Pond

• Location: This pond is located in the Lincoln County Fairgrounds in Eureka.
• Fish Species: rainbow trout and westslope cutthroat trout
• Helpful Hints: The best fishing late April through June. The pond is open to everyone but adults age 15 and older are asked to release their fish.

Kalispell

Dry Bridge Pond

• Location: This 3-acre pond is in Dry Bridge City Park at the corner of 11th Street East and Woodland Avenue (about 8 blocks south of the Conrad Mansion) in an area known as the "Sledding Gully."
• Fish Species: rainbow trout
• Helpful Hints: Everyone is welcome to fish, adults 15 and older must release their fish. The best fishing is in April, May, and June. The pond is open to family fishing and anyone can fish.  The pond is stocked with assistance from the "Hooked On Fishing, Not On Drugs" 4th grade class from nearby Hedges school. The pond is tree-lined with benches and a hiking path around the pond and turtles, muskrats, ducks, osprey, and bald eagles can be observed. A porta-pottie is provided by FWP. The pond was dredged to deepen it in 2003 with assistance from Les Schlegel Enterprises contracting, Sunriser Lions, Flathead Wildlife, Inc., Bonneville Power Administration, Kalispell City Parks, and FWP.

Buffalohead Park Pond

• Location: This 2-acre pond sits off Grandview Drive just south of Flathead Community College. Parking and access is provided by the Glacier Church. Walk through the culvert under Grandview to the pond about 150 yards away. A porta-pottie is placed at the culvert by FWP.
• Fish Species: westslope cutthroat trout
• Helpful Hints: Everyone is welcome to fish, adults 15 and older must release their fish. The pond is open to family fishing, anyone can fish.  Best fishing is late May and June. The pond is stocked with assistance from the Edgerton School HOF class. The pond is in a secluded setting with lots of kingfishers, ducks, and turtles. There are several gentle spots on the bank, but a lot of the bank is steep and requires some care.

Pine Grove Pond

• Location: This 5 acre pond is 3 miles northeast of Kalispell off Rose Crossing east of Whitefish Stage Road and just west of the Whitefish River. The pond will officially open April 30, 2011.
• Fish Species: rainbow trout and cutthroat trout
• Helpful Hints: This family fishing pond is open to everyone. The pond will be open to everyone.  Adults 15 and older are asked to release all fish and anglers 14 and younger may keep one trout per day.  The pond will be open April through September. The pond has a walking trail around it, parking and a vault latrine and will have an accessible fishing pier and picnic shelter. Osprey, bald eagles, waterfowl and whitetail deer are common. The pond was built and donated by Robin Street and his son Steve and family. Numerous groups contributed to the pond construction including Ames Construction, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Flathead Electric Round Up For Safety, Flathead Valley Community College Heavy Equipment Program, Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust, Flathead Conservation District, Flathead Chapter of Walleyes Unlimited, Flathead Wildlife, Inc., and others. The pond is heavily used for Hooked On Fishing and other educational events.

Snappys Pond

• Location: This is a unique opportunity offered by Snappy Sport Center at the junction of Highway 2 and Highway 35.
• Fish Species: rainbow trout and cutthroat trout 
• Helpful Hints: The pond sits in a beautiful courtyard and offers benches and a waterfall. The pond also offers an underwater window for classes and general viewing. The pond is fully handicapped accessible. The pond is open to viewing and fish feeding during most business hours. There is no general fishing.  Organized groups can schedule interpretive talks or fishing by FWP. Snappys, FWP, and several conservation groups offer kids' fishing days throughout the year. The pond is used heavily by "Hooked On Fishing" classes.

Shady Lane Pond

• Location: The pond is accessed through the Old Steel Bridge Fishing Access Site just east of Kalispell. The site has parking, latrines, and offers access to the Flathead River and 2.5 miles of primitive hiking trails.
• Fish Species: rainbow trout, westslope cutthroat trout, pumpkinseed sunfish, and black bullheads.
• Helpful Hints: Everyone is welcome to fish, young anglers can keep 1 trout per day, and adults 15 and older must release their fish.  Anyone can keep bullheads and sunfish with no limit. The pond offers handicapped accessible parking, paved trail, accessible picnic pavillion, and an accessible fishing pier.

Noxon

Triangle Pond

• Location: This 8-acre gravel pit sits about 5 miles west of the town of Noxon. Drive through Noxon and continue on the road along the "backside" of Cabinet Gorge Reservoir.
• Fish Species: The pond is stocked heavily with fingerling, catchable, and brood rainbows.
• Helpful Hints: There is good access and a picnic area. The pond hosts general fishing as well as the Triangle Pond Kids' Fishing Day sponsored by Noxon Rod and Gun Club, U.S. Forest Service, Avista, and FWP.

Ronan

Ninepipes Pond

• Location: This pond is about 5 miles south of Ronan on Highway 93. The pond is about 1/2 mile west of the highway on a gravel road at an FWP wildlife viewing area and across from the Ninepipes Motel and Museum.
• Fish Species: rainbow trout, largemouth bass, perch, and brook trout
• Helpful Hints: The pond is open to family fishing with adults releasing their catch. The pond is used heavily by classes and offers a kids fishing day sponsored by Polson Outdoors, Ronan Sports and Western, and FWP. The pond offers an easy shoreline, parking, a handicapped accessible latrine, and an accessible nature trail with interpretive signs and a handicapped accessible fishing pier. The site offers outstanding bird watching opportunities on adjacent Ninepipes National Wildlife Refuge and a spectacular view of the Mission Mountains. The National Bison Range is nearby.

Rural Waters

There are other great family fishing opportunities in Region 1 in a little more rural setting. Generally, these waters are heavily stocked, offer easy and safe access, and sanitary facilities. Region 1 FWP has a handout titled "Good Places For Kids To Fish". Following are some of the best:

Lion Lake

• Location: This 35-acre lake sits 4 miles from Hungry Horse on the road to Hungry Horse Dam.
• Fish Species: rainbow trout and yellow perch
• Helpful Hints: The lake has gentle shorelines and has a Forest Service day use area with parking, picnic tables and latrines.

Foys Lake

• Location: This 235-acre lake sits three miles south of Kalispell near Lone Pine State Park.
• Fish Species: rainbow trout and kokanee
• Helpful Hints: Fishing is slow in summer due to warm temperatures and boating. There are both Flathead County and FWP sites. The county site has a boat ramp, docks, a swimming area, and latrines.

Echo Lake

• Location: This 750-acre lake is five miles north of Bigfork. Turn north off Highway 83 at the Swan River School, drive 3 miles north. Shore access is available at the Causeway and the Echo Lake Fishing Access Site just off LaBrant Road.
• Fish Species: perch, pumpkinseeds, largemouth bass, and northern pike.
• Helpful Hints: This site is also good for swimming. There is a concrete boat ramp and dock. The Jewel Basin Hiking Area is nearby.

Smith Lake

• Location: This 400-acre lake is eight miles west of Kalispell off Highway 2.
• Fish Species: yellow perch and northern pike
• Helpful Hints: There is a Fishing Access Site at the lake with parking, a gravel ramp, and an accessible latrine and dock. There are two docks, one of the docks is handicap accessible. The lake also offers outstanding bird watching opportunities.

Flatiron Ridge Fishing Access Site

• Location: This FAS sits just off Highway 200 about 5 miles west of Thompson Falls on Noxon Rapids Reservoir.
• Fish Species: largemouth and smallmouth bass and yellow perch.
• Helpful Hints: The site has an accessible fishing platform, parking, an accessible latrine, and an accessible dock and boat ramp.

Tetrault Lake (also known as Carpenter Lake)

• Location: This 240-acre lake is about six miles northwest of Eureka. Drive one mile north of Eureka, turn west on Highway 37, then follow the signs toward the Murray Springs State Fish Hatchery.
• Fish Species: The lake is stocked heavily with fingerling, catchable and brood rainbow and cutthroat trout.
• Helpful Hints: This Fishing Access Site has easy shorelines, a gravel ramp, and a latrine

Thompson Chain Of Lakes

• Location: This 2,400 acre Fishing Access Site sits about halfway between Kalispell and Libby along Highway 2.
• Fish Species: These lakes offer fishing for almost all the warm and coldwater fish species in the region. Some of the lakes offer great kid fishing for perch and trout.
• Helpful Hints: The area has 21 lakes that range in size from a few acres to 1,300 acres. The site offers numerous boat ramps, day use areas, primitive campsites, a state park, and some private commercial sites such as restaurants, cabins, camping, and grocery stores.  FWP has handouts on TCL fishing and camping opportunities.

Thompson Falls

Thompson Park Pond

• Location: This small pond sits at the west end of the Thompson Falls State Park.
• Fish Species: rainbow trout.
• Helpful Hints: The park offers picnicking, primitive camping, latrines, and a boat launch onto Noxon Rapids Reservoir.

Troy

Troy Pond

• Location: This pond is part of the City Park. Turn right on 3rd Street (around the middle of town), cross the railroad tracks, then turn left on Riverside Avenue.
• Fish Species: rainbow trout and cutthroat trout.
• Helpful Hints: The pond offers easy access and is open to family fishing with adults age 15 and older releasing their fish. Access is good and anglers with disabilities can drive and park near the pond. There is parking, picnic tables, toilets, and soccer/skate/baseball/softball fields in the park.

Whitefish

Mountain Mall Pond

• Fish Species: rainbow trout
• Helpful Hints: The pond is used heavily by "Hooked On Fishing" classes and the mall holds a number of kids' fishing days. Parking and restrooms are available through the mall. Parts of the bank are steep. Fishing is allowed only through scheduled events due to liability concerns.