Vacation Montana!
~ Montana Lodging At Its BEST ~
*Spring & Fall*
Hooking for Bass
Flicking for Trout
Stroking for Par
...more on Spring and Fall in Montana
Let's start
with bass fishing...
When it comes to fishing for largemouth bass in the Flathead Valley, it
does not get any better than fishing Echo Lake, which consistently produces many bass at respectable sizes. Indeed, Echo
Lake stands out among the lakes in the Flathead Valley as having an abundance of
well-sized largemouth bass. Echo Lake is very hospitable to bass with its warm water,
numerous lobes and bays, and considerable shoreline cover. Extending over 700 surface
acres, Echo Lake is a highly respected bass fishing lake, considered by many as the premier bass fishery in Northwest
Montana, especially over recent years as the abundance and size of bass has increased with
catch-and-release practices during Spring spawning.
This Spring fishing report is typical of bass
fishing on Echo Lake:
(6/96)
"Great fishing. Pop r' was dynamite early.
Later using Salty Tube (Gitzit) and pitching a jig produces many nice bass. Boated and
released 34 keepers in 10 hours of fishing. Largest bass--4 lbs. 12 oz. Also caught a
couple of northern pike."
The fishing is good here on Echo Lake. Your
vacation home is not only smack dab on Echo Lake but is also on a popular cove for
catching bass. You and your companions can cast right from your deck to catch fish! And
you have a private dock, right in front of your home, for your boats. As any bass
fisherman knows, largemouth bass love coves and pockets during Spring spawning and Fall
feeding. That's where the bass are found. Echo Lake is full of productive coves and
pockets for you and your companions to boat into, work, and catch fish. So get ready to do
some bass fishing!
Really want to get to know where the bass are on
Echo Lake? An experienced guide for fishing Echo Lake is available. He will take you to
the latest hot spots on the lake so that you and your companions can really do some fishing.
Don't forget about the northern pike. They are also in abundance in
Echo Lake and smack the bass baits pretty good. So between the bass and the pike you can
expect to really be pulling fish out of the lake. Take home all the pike you want but bass
in Echo Lake require your special attention. When it comes to bass, once you boat them,
and take photos of a big catch, remember to then release them. That keeps the bass growing
and producing so that your next fishing trip with us will be even more productive and fun.
Practicing catch-and-release is the right and smart thing to do for bass, and required during Spring spawning.
Your vacation home is a base for fishing other
lakes and rivers known for their largemouth bass. The nearby Flathead River provides
good action, particularly in the Church and Fennon sloughs down towards Bigfork. Abbot and Peterson Lakes produce
nice bass and are practically right next door to your vacation home. These lakes are
accessible by boat through a high-water channel that usually connects Echo Lake to Abbot
Lake which then connects into Peterson Lake. Upper and Lower Thompson Lakes, about twenty minutes west of the Flathead Valley, are also real good for
bass.
And your vacation home is centrally located to
productive fly-fishing in
spectacularly beautiful surroundings. The Flathead and Swan Rivers
are about five minutes from your vacation home, and provide excellent fly-fishing for wild rainbows and
cutthroats. The Flathead and Swan have distinct
personalities. Wending its way southward from the surrounding arms of the Rocky Mountains,
the Flathead River is a large river with wide flows, broad and powerful currents, deep
holes, and many channels and bars. Recognized as a "Blue-Ribbon Stream", the
Flathead has a wide open quality with broad breathtaking panoramas. The Swan River, making
its way from deep in the Swan Valley and eventually arriving in Bigfork's bay, is a
smaller more intimate river that has a distinctly remote quality with much wildlife, deep
winding holes, and logjams. Nature is very close to you on the Swan. You'll love both of
these rivers, as they provide enjoyable fly-fishing in uniquely awe-inspiring settings.
From your vacation home, Echo Lake and other
active fisheries for largemouth bass, northern pike, rainbows and cutthroats are going to
show you and your fishing companions a really good time!
Spring spawning and Fall feeding
The best time for fishing largemouth bass in Echo
Lake and the surrounding area is during Spring spawning and Fall feeding. Bass only spawn
once a year so they take it quite seriously. They are particularly vigilant and active
during this time of year and are very prone to be aggressive and "snappy" when
disturbed, as by your bait. They are out from cover and on the prowl for a date so just
about everything looks good to them, including what you have to offer.
The month of May is
when Spring fishing is best for bass in Echo Lake. By May, the ice on the lake is gone and
the water begins to warm, the bass are becoming activated and aroused by their own carnal
instincts, and so...let the bass fishing begin!
Largemouth bass are hungry for something quite
different in the Fall, namely, FOOD! They instinctively store up fat and nutrients during
the Fall season for the arriving Winter, so they are very hungry and not at all picky.
They are out and about looking for food and just about anything remotely resembling foods
in their natural diet looks good to them. So get your bait in the general vicinity, and
Mr. or Ms. Bass will say hello in a quite mouthy manner.
Fall fishing is best mid-September
to mid-October, before water temperatures drop and bass
settle in for a long winter laze. So come on by in September or October, get out on your
boat, clang a dinner bell, offer your main course, and expect guests to arrive at your
boat. Who, of course, you will then release and let return home, like any good host.
And the Spring and Fall provide lots of
action for fly-fishing rainbows and cutthroats in the
Flathead and Swan Rivers. The best time during the Spring is in May,
while September to mid-October is best
during the Fall.
Tight lines!
And golf
too?
You bet!
About five minutes from your vacation home
on Echo Lake is Eagle Bend Golf Course,
featuring 27 holes of championship golf
So on days when you or some of your companions are not fishing,
you or your companions can be golfing
Incredible as it may seem, bass fishing and golfing seem made for each
other
It's not so fun golfing on a cloudy day that may sprinkle rain, but
it's one of the best times to fish for largemouth bass
Bass are already busy spawning or feeding and the low pressure
accompanying cloudy or rainy days gets them all the more active and out from cover
Now they are really ready to bite your bait!
But bright sunny days are not particularly good days to fish for bass
Although spawning and feeding are active times for bass, the high
pressure and bright sunlight keep them closer to cover and you have to get your bait
pretty close for them to consider biting...and even then they may not
So the fishing is tougher
But my oh my, bright sunny days are the days you want to be out on the
links
Eagle Bend Golf Course will challenge your
skills and entertain your eyes with breathtaking views of the Swan Mountain Range,
Flathead River, Flathead Lake, and mountain ranges surrounding the lake. It's hard to
think of any golf course, except perhaps Pebble Beach or Augusta National, as beautifully
situated as Eagle Bend.
And the Fall and Spring in the Flathead Valley bring you days that are
cloudier and more rainy and days that are sunnier and more bright, so there is always a
day better for throwing out the line or stroking the clubs
To fish or
to golf...
That is the question
So if it's not a day for fishing, then go
golfing
And if it's not a day for golfing, then go fishing
Or, perhaps you and your companions fish
for bass in the early morning, golf later in the morning to
early afternoon, get together and hang out awhile at the
clubhouse or restaurant, and do some more fishing for bass in
the late afternoon to early evening. And then hang out again,
this time on your deck overlooking Echo Lake to relax and
discuss the day.
Or, on some days, some persons may go fishing while others golf
You get the idea
There are a lot of ways you and your companions can spend the day if
fishing and golfing are among your interests, particularly if you are on Echo Lake with
Eagle Bend nearby
Eagle Bend
Golf Course
"Try the Eagle Bend experience
It is one of Montana's real jewels!"
--Jack Nicklaus
Eagle Bend is truly a special place to
golf, challenging and beautiful...
In 1990, voted the second best new public golf
course in America by Golf Digest
In 1996, rated as one of the top 75 public golf
courses in America by Golf Digest
Voted the number one golf course in Montana
for six consecutive years, 1991 to 1996, by Golf Digest
In 1994, hosted the USGA U.S. Amateur Public
Links Championship
In 1995, hosted the Pacific Northwest PGA Section
Championship
And hosted the Jack Nicklaus Charity Exhibition
In 1996, Golf Magazine described Montana's Flathead Valley as providing
"ultra-scenic golf...the layouts are among the most breathtaking in the West"
and highlights Eagle Bend as a must golf "...tops in the state...well conditioned"
The
challenge of Eagle Bend:
Lake-Ridge Course and Nicklaus
Nine
Eagle Bend Golf Course features the 18 hole Lake-Ridge Course and the 9 hole
Nicklaus Nine
The Lake-Ridge Course is long and
muscular, moving through varied terrain. The course strides alongside the Flathead River
as it moves toward and merges into Flathead Lake, providing sparkling views of the river,
lake, and surrounding mountain ranges. The course then cuts through pine forests flanked
by the magnificent Swan Mountain Range and gorgeous views of Flathead Lake. And all along
the way you'll find lots of water with seven of the holes involving serious water play.
The Nicklaus Nine, designed by the younger
Nicklaus, is a quickly playing tight course that will test your skills, and nerves, from
start to finish. The course recently opened and is designed to complement the 18 hole
course with a fast moving demanding style of play in the fine tradition of Nicklaus
courses.
And many people speak of the beauty of
golfing Eagle Bend...
Golf writer Brad Klein (Golfweek, Links Magazine, iGolf) says that
Northwest Montana's Flathead Valley is the "best area for
public golf" in America and that "Eagle Bend is the
best" of all the courses in the Valley
Many other persons, having golfed Eagle Bend, have gotten in their two
cents worth--
"One of the most scenic courses in the U.S....a must play while in
the Flathead Valley"
"God's country" "Very beautiful" "Excellent in
all respects" "Good chow, beautiful track" "Beautifully laid out, lots
of water but fairly placed" "Long and winding course, lots of variety"
"Fairway cut out of pine forest" "This is heaven" "Other than
Augusta National, one of the most picturesque courses I've ever played"
"Spectacular scenery, course well designed" "Exceptional conditions"
"Long ball hitter course, stay on fairways!!" "Lots of water"
"Very scenic, some big changes in elevation" "Really quick greens"
"Very clean course. Great scenery"
and, as one person simply put it, "The best Montana has to
offer"
A
completely serviced golf experience
Eagle Bend Golf Course has a full range of
amenities, including...
Clubhouse--Bar--Lounge--Cocktails, Complete Pro Shop, Tee Time
Reservation Service, Carts and Caddies, Golf Lessons, Rental Clubs
Hap's Steakhouse at Eagle Bend,
overlooking the 18th green of the Lake-Ridge Course, serves your favorite cuts of the best
corn-fed beef and a fine selection of fresh pasta and seafood in a casually elegant
atmosphere. Peruse the menu while enjoying a martini from over 25 different selections.
The food is delicious, the cuts of beef are big, the drinks (martinis included!) are
excellent, and the French Onion soup is served in a truly unique manner! A very special
place.
Excellent practice facility, considered by many as one of the finest in
the Northwest, offers a driving range, four large target greens, a large putting green,
and a challenging bunker green for the short game
Montana Athletic Club, next door to the
driving range, is 17,600 square feet of facilities, services, fitness activities, and
means for relaxation. The Club is a fitness complex that will greatly impress you, being
the most modern, spacious, and complete health facility in the Flathead Valley
Green fees
Not quite done yet. How about them green
fees, you ask? As is typical with all the golf courses in the Flathead Valley, Eagle
Bend's green fees are among the most reasonable in America. During peak season (June 13 -
September 21), green fees at Eagle Bend are $47 for 18 holes ($35 at twilight) and $25 for
9 holes ($20 at twilight), weekdays and weekends (1997 rates, green fees are slightly
higher with an advanced tee time greater than five days). And that's during peak season!
When those bass are spawning and feeding, during the Spring and Fall, green fees can even
be lower. It is hard to think of any comparable golf course in America with such low green
fees. Quite a deal!
Bottom line
Frankly stated, the golf courses at Eagle
Bend are damn good! You and your companions will thoroughly enjoy golfing Eagle Bend, both
for its challenge and its beauty.
Now that you have a wonderful golf course only about five minutes from
your vacation home...
Golf season at Eagle Bend is from the first of April through
October (call to confirm exact opening and closing dates). We recommend, though, that you
start your season at Eagle Bend no earlier than the beginning of May, which is when Spring
begins to really blossom out on the links and the bass are becoming active and ready to
bite.
Summer
Fall
Holiday Season
Winter
Spring
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