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Georgetown Lake Fishing Report

Updated Fri, Sep 4, 2026 from live gauge and weather data

The high mountain flat: rainbows, brookies and a legendary ice season at 6,400 feet.

3/5
Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.
Water temp
~54 F est.
Air / High
60 / 62 F
Wind
SW 8 mph

Sources: USGS gauge 12325000, Open-Meteo, solunar calculated for these coordinates.

Satellite view
Friday
4
September 2026

Today's Fishing Report

Generated this morning from live readings: gauge, weather model, sun and moon. A fresh report is published here every morning.

3/5Fair. Fish the windows.A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Georgetown Lake feels the season turning: shorter days, grouping fish. Today brings a mixed sky, wind SW around 8 mph, rising pressure near 1009 hPa and a high of 62. Water sits around 54 F for the season (estimated). With the last quarter, the solunar majors run 5:39 AM-7:39 AM and 5:39 PM-7:39 PM: the windows to build the day around.

The plan, species by species

Rainbow troutGood

Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brook troutGood

The best weeks of the year: fish spread through runs and riffles and eat willingly. Small streamers, beadhead nymphs and caddis dries all produce, with fall fish coloring up hard.

Brown troutGood

Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

Tomorrow: Similar at 63 F with a rain chance. The solunar majors shift about 50 minutes later.Next report: Sat, Sep 5, 6:30 AMHow this report is made →

Water and weather

Live readings from Georgetown Lake near Philipsburg, MT.

No live gauge on this water

Conditions here are modeled from weather, season and the nearest stations. Water readings appear when a USGS gauge is available.

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Right now

Latest readings

Air temp60 F
High / Low62 / 43 F
WindSW 8-20 mph
Pressure1009.1 hPa, rising
Sky / Rain39% cloud, 33%
Sunrise / Sunset06:58 / 20:06
MoonLast Quarter, 50%
Water temp (seasonal)~54 F est.

Bite planner

Hour-by-hour bite forecast for today. Tap a bar to see why.

5 AM8 AM11 AM2 PM5 PM8 PMsunrisesunsetPRIMEPRIME

Next 7 days

Tap a day for the detailed outlook.

Fri Sep 4 · Showers, 62/43 F, wind 14 mph, rain 33%

Fair or better. A 14 mph breeze puts a working chop on the banks it hits: fish the wind-blown side.

Species guide

The species that matter on Georgetown Lake: seasons, structure and how to fish each one. Today's ratings live in the report above.

Rainbow trout illustration

Rainbow trout

Best: Apr-Jun, Sep-Oct

The workhorse of western rivers: riffles, seams and dry-fly eats. Blue-winged olives and midges on soft seams; streamers on overcast days move the better fish.

Brook trout illustration

Brook trout

Best: May-Jun and Sep-Oct

North America’s native char: a small-stream specialist that demands cold, clean water and repays it with the prettiest fish in the woods. The best weeks of the year: fish spread through runs and riffles and eat willingly. Small streamers, beadhead nymphs and caddis dries all produce, with fall fish coloring up hard.

Brown trout illustration

Brown trout

Best: Sep-Nov

Wary, predatory and nocturnal by preference. The big ones eat streamers. Pre-spawn aggression: this is streamer season for the fish of the year.

When to come: the Georgetown Lake calendar

Activity by species and month, and how the water warms through the year. Tap any cell.

Species activity by month

1 = slow, 5 = peak. Current month highlighted.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rainbow trout
Brook trout
Brown trout
SlowPeak

Water temperature through the year

Typical surface temperature for this water type; today is around 54 F (estimated, not a reading).

30405060JanMarMayJulSepNovSep, ~54 F now

Angler reports

Real reports from real anglers, reviewed before publishing. The water log below tracks each day automatically.

No angler reports yet this weekBe the first: your report helps every angler who checks Georgetown Lake today, and we feature the best catch of the week.

Water log, last days

Auto-logged from live data
Thu, Sep 3

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 60 F, wind to 13 mph.

Wed, Sep 2

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 62 F, wind to 15 mph.

Tue, Sep 1

3/5 Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day. Rainbow trout led the card at good. High of 74 F, wind to 17 mph.

Where roughly, what depth, what bait. Skip anything you want to keep secret.
Only used to send you this water's report each week. No spam, ever.

Before you go

License

Montana requires a valid fishing license for adults. Buy online from the state agency; one-day options exist for visitors.

Regulations

Combined trout limits with kokanee rules; check brood-stock protections. Confirm with FWP.

Access

Ramps at Denton's Point, Rainbow Bay, Piney; Georgetown Lake Road circles most access.

About this water

~3,000 acres at 6,400 ft near Anaconda, MT. Fertile, shallow, famous for growth rates and ice culture.

Fishing Georgetown Lake: the full guide

Anaconda's home water

Georgetown sits shallow, fertile and cold: rainbows and brook trout fatten on scuds and leeches, fall brings brood-stock plants, and winter turns it into one of Montana's most social ice fisheries. Float tubes over weedbeds is the summer craft.

Weedbed logistics

Georgetown is essentially one huge weedbed with channels: trout cruise the edges eating scuds, damsels and leeches. Float tubes and small boats work the seams; shore anglers do best at the pumphouse and Denton's Point drop-offs. Brook trout add color; rainbows add shoulders.

The ice institution

At 6,400 feet the lake ices reliably: December through March brings a genuine village: kokanee suspend at 20-30 ft, rainbows patrol the weed edges, and the social scene rivals the fishing. Our winter reports flag the thaw cycles that matter for access.

High-altitude horsepower

At 6,400 feet, Georgetown packs more trout per acre than any Montana water: rainbows and brookies gorge on scuds and damsels across the shallow weedy bowl, growing football-shaped by August. Fly anglers strip leeches over the weed tops from float tubes; winter flips it into Montana's most social ice fishery, with Anaconda's shanty town jigging maggots for the same fat fish.

Common questions

What makes Georgetown trout grow so fast?

Shallow fertility: scud and insect biomass at altitude with a long ice season concentrating feed windows. Two-year fish reach sizes valley lakes need four for.

How high is Georgetown Lake?

6,400 feet in the Pintler shadow: summer stays cool and the ice season runs long. Afternoon storms build fast: mornings are the reliable window on this open bowl.

Is fishing good at Georgetown Lake right now?

Check the daily report at the top of this page: it is regenerated every morning from live data. Today's read: Fair. Fish the windows. A steady pattern: dawn and dusk carry the day.

Nearby waters

Rock Creek39 miBig Hole River48 miBlackfoot River53 miClark Fork River (Missoula)58 miBitterroot River61 miBeaverhead River69 mi
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