Lake Ennis Montana..... trout heaven

Back in 05 on our way to Alaska we stumbled across Lake Ennis.  We stopped in the town of Ennis at the blinking lite and filled up the gas tank and asked about fishing in the area.  The local suggested Lake Ennis about five miles out of town.  He suggested we fill our water tank and dump our gray and black tank as the city park had no facilities save camping spots and one chemical toilet.  We went over to the sporting goods store and bought annual fishing lisences with a trout stamp.  We stopped at the grocery store and filled our larder and headed for Lake Ennis.  We went out of town about five miles and turned at the sign that said ''McAllister''.  It is on the post in front of two buildings on the rite side of the road.  You go out a bumpy road about three miles and the lake is on the right ......  There are about five ''lake front'' camp sights and many more non lake front sights.  We unloaded the porta boat and set everything up.  the guy at the sporting goods store suggested 3/8 oz. black bodied Panther Martins with a gold blade to fish with.  I bought six. 
.....FISHING THE LAKE.....
One.  you really need a boat  but trout can be caught from the bank.  the next day we set out thru the sea weed and the ''snot grass'' toward deep water.  When you clear the neck out to about the house on the left you are clear of the weeds and snot grass.  Troal your lures dead slow about fifty feet behind the boat.  We ran the motor in the tilted position so it would do a ''blub blub'' sound with the prop and we caught Browns and Rainbows.  In a four hour period we caught over 24 fish.  We bent the barbs down on the lures and never touched the fish.  We simply took ''hemistats'' and carefully unhooked the lunkers back to the lake.  We did keep one for supper.  Oh, did i mention that these fish went from two to three and a half pounds each......wow......
We stayed there five days and had a wonderful time.
A word of caution...... Montana is kinda flat in that area and a storm cloud the size of your hat can blow up a storm that will try to turn your coach over.  WATCH THE WEATHER AND WHEN THE WIND COMES  UP GET THE HECK OFF THE LAKE PRONTO.....
Give lake Ennis a try if you are in the area........

Thanks, working at Old Faithful, Ennis is not that far away, always looking for a nice weekend spot to take the Westy.  Now to find a killer deaal on some kind of boat.

That area has tons of fishing; especially if you are also a flyfisherman.  Just south of Ennis on Highway #287 is Cliff and Wade lakes.  You go up a 6 mile gravel road.  No hookups but the campsites are really...really nice.  They have pit toliets and water.  We took the coach up once.  Tim won't do it again because of all the dust and gravel.  But it is great for trailers  Bill, your Westie would be fabulous; but you would need a float boat or something similar.  The turn off for Cliff and Wade lakes is at 3 dollar bridge which crosses the Madison River.....a fabulous river to fish.  But beware it is hard and fast in the spring.  Last year we fished it and got skunked.....most everyone did.  For some reason it was an off year.

Another good area is Henry's Lake near Island Park, Idaho.

Marsha~

We spent two months this year in Ennis at Ennis RV Village and it was amazing! At the time we were there, fishing on the Madison was non-existent because of the late snow and high water, but many were fishing the lake instead.

Highly recommended, including its proxity to West Yellowstone which we visited at least 15 times during our stay!  ;D

Seajay, Thanks for the report.  We will added it to our 2014 Alaska trip.
Mike

Note to Mike ......
If you are going up the Alcan to Alaska and you have a boat of some kind for goodness sake stop at Muncho Lake on the Alcan.  It is on your left going up and you can catch ''cut throat trout'' by the bucket full.  Here is what  you will need besides the boat. 
One.  Get yourself some ''Five Star Spoons''' before you go up there...................
Two.  Stay in the first campground on the left and DO NOT GATHER FIRE WOOD ON THE SHORE OF THE LAKE....
Three..  Go up to where the river is feeding the lake and ''nose into the gravle bar'' beside the river and toss out an anchor on the gravle bar.
Four. Get out your medium weight spinner (graphite is best) with 17 pound Spider Wire line on the reel, hook on a Five Star Spoon and sling it out into the rushing water. 
Five.  Leave the spool open and let the lure go down with the current.  It will drift to the left into the slower water. close the bail on the reel and take up the slack.  Give it a little tug.
Six.  Take out the slack and give it another tug and HANG ON ........... BOOM...... (try not to wet your pants).....
Seven.  Dont worry about catching the bottom of the lake because the shallow parts are 60 feet deep and where you are fishing is over 100 feet deep and the lake is clear as Vodka.  Where you launch your boat some 30 feet from shore at the first camp sight the water is 50 feet deep......
My standard fee for fishing information is ten cents and you must pay me the next time you see me. 
Enjoy ..........