Swan Lake mackinaw biting

Swan Lake hot for lakers

MONTANA LIVING — Dick Zimmer, owner of Zimmer Tackle in Pablo, remembers the good old days of Flathead Lake when you could catch a mess of mackinaw.

Well, those days have faded a bit, as fisheries managers now manage Flathead Lake for native bull trout and cutthroat trout. But Zimmer has discovered an alternative, just over the mountains to to east: Swan Lake.

"It's fishing like Flathead used to be," Zimmer said, after recently harvesting a stringer of lake trout. "The fish are really aggresive."

Zimmer said the fish can be found in fairly shallow water — about 50 to 90 feet.

Target the lake trout with tube baits or jigs baited with cut bait. Attach a glow grub above the jig.

Zimmer recommends his Rattle D-Zastors and Lead-a-Gators, found at local sporting goods stores and zimmertackle.com.