Hebgen Lake Montana Fishing, Camping, Lodging

The recreation area of Hebgen Lake is one of spectacular scenery, camping, boating, fishing and other water-based activities as well as snowmobiling and ice-fishing in winter.

Overview

Hebgen Lake is a lovely recreation area filled with spectacular scenery and a wide array of water activities. This man-made lake is about 15 miles long and 2 1/2 miles wide, providing an ideal vacation spot not far from Yellowstone National Park.

Location/Directions

Hebgen Lake Montana is only roughly 20 minutes (10 miles) west of West Yellowstone, off Highways 87 and 287.

Seasons

Hebgen Lake is accessible the year throughout.

Activities

Most visitors come during the summer, but there are opportunities for fun activities throughout the year. You also have access to many commercial services, such as restaurants, RV parks, boat rentals and marinas.

• Boating
  With such a large lake, boating is a real pleasure. You can sail under the sun, water ski when there isn’t much wind or paddle around in a canoe or kayak. There’s a boat launch on the north shore.
• Fishing/Fly-fishing
  Some say that Hebgen Lake MT is the best dry fly lake in all of North America, but you’ll get a productive catch no matter whether you use wet or dry flies. You’ll certainly find plenty of cutthroats, rainbows and browns. In the winter you can do some ice fishing.
• Swimming
  Although it takes a while for the waters to warm up, it’s usually warm enough by July to take a swim.

Additional Info

Hebgen Lake was the scene of the third largest earthquake (a magnitude of 7.5) to hit the lower 48 states. In 1959, this quake created a slide that cascaded from the south wall of the Madison River Canyon and blocked the gorge. It made a new lake (now called Quake Lake) and damaged many summer homes in the Hebgen Lake area.