Mountain Whitefish - Montana Fly Fishing Species
Abundant across Montana's clear, cold rivers and streams, the mountain whitefish is a familiar face in the state's waters. This cylindrical native species thrives from western drainages to eastern mountain front waterways, residing also in reservoirs and lakes. Typically measuring 10-16 inches and averaging 5 pounds.
While some anglers consider them a nuisance, others target whitefish as worthy sportfish that have coexisted with trout for eons without major resource competition. Equipped with pointed snouts and tiny round mouths, they vacuum invertebrates from the rocky bottom.
Come fall spawning season, thousands amass in tributaries to lay eggs across gravel beds. Valued for their numbers and eagerness to strike flies or bait, the mountain whitefish remains one of Montana's most important native gamefish