North Ranch - Trout Pond Fishing

Season Dates: May 15, 2024 - August 31, 2024

2024 Pond Status: Muskrat Pond will be open. Big Dam Pond is under development and not available for fishing this year.

The North Ranch main compound, which sits at 5400-foot elevation includes two trout ponds, “Muskrat Pond” and the “Big Dam Pond”. These ponds were part of an overall riparian restoration and conservation project at the ranch. They recharge the aquifer, provide a critical water source for wildlife, and breathe new life into the valley bottom. No cattle are allowed in this area. This no-cattle zone consists of 514 aerial acres, with actual acres considerably more considering terrain variations (ridges, draws and such). In this zone only wildlife is permitted to roam freely. And due to no cattle grazing, the area offers excellent forage for the elk, deer, and antelope over the winter months.

About the Muskrat Pond: The Muskrat Pond was an older farm pond that was re-built and enlarged (dug deeper) in the Summer of 2020.  It is fed by three natural springs and topped off in the spring from snow melt. It is slightly over two acres in size and eleven feet deep across the dam front when full. In the spring of 2022, tree planting around the pond started with sixteen balled/burlapped golden shrub willow and 14 balled/burlapped cottonwood trees.  Each year more trees will be planted. The target for planting trees in Spring 2023 is 100 trees. All trees must be protected with five feet high fencing to protect them from the elk and deer rubbing on them. Additionally, along the waterline, the banks were seeded with waterfowl plants and grasses including cattail seed, various sedges, and big wild basin rye grass.

In the September of 2020 it was stocked with 900, (5–7 inch rainbow trout from a trout hatchery out of Cody, WY. In April 2021 it was stocked with 1200 (3-5 inch) rainbow trout from the Spring Creek Trout Hatchery out of Lewistown, MT. Being an old farm pond, the pond had a lot of native species minnows which provide a food base for the trout. We had a very good survival rate over the winter.  As of August 2022, the original stocking of trout are 10-14 inches in size. The other trout are 7-9 inches in size.

During a summer day you will see hundreds of trout rising for the hatch of the day. Hatches can occur all day into the dark of the evening.  From mid-July many grasshoppers are around. Around the pond, you will see tracks of elk, deer, antelope, bear, coyote, fox, raccoon, and mountain lion. During the spring, numerous ducks and four to six pair of geese use the pond. And two pair of Sandhill Cranes nest in the general pond area and return each year. They have come annually since I bought the property in 2014. If you are fishing in the evening, you will see elk coming into the alfalfa fields and muskrats coming out to feed.

The Big Dam Pond: Was built from scratch in a draw 500 yards west of main ranch compound starting in the summer of 2015. The draw is surrounded by douglas fir trees on the south side, and ponderosa pine on the north side. The pond is well shaded and out of the wind. On the north side of pond, the hill is covered with chokecherry bushes. In the fall you will see black bears feeding on them until they are gone.

The original design was to be slightly over a half acre and seventeen feet deep on dam front and into the pond center. The pond was being fed by a natural spring producing two gallons per minute of flow. It took two years to fill, as we needed snow melt. In August 2021, a decision was made to make the pond larger, deeper and develop the spring feeding the pond. The end result has the pond at .85 acres in size and 23 feet deep with a natural cold water spring flowing at six gallons per minute 24/7 (equates to 8640 gallons of water in 24 hours). This reading was as of July, 2022 in a very dry year. During a wet year, this flow may go up to 12-18 gallons per minute. As of August 2022, the pond is only 25% full. We hope from Winter snows, the pond fills up the Spring of 2023. Once full, the natural spring will keep it full all year long with a runoff culvert overflow. This pond is in a well shaded draw, so the water will stay cold all year long.

On May 25,  2022, the pond was stocked with 500, 3-5 inch rainbow trout. These are the Cantaloupe variety. These trout will grow to 18-24 inches in size depending on feed sources. It will take some time for these trout to reach 10-12 inches. As such, we are not fishing this pond yet.

WHO SHOULD FISH THE NORTH RANCH PONDS: This experience is for folks new to fishing or a family that wants lots of trout action. And for the experienced fisherman that wants to spend some time in a very cool place, and test his or her new flies out. When fishing the Muskrat Pond, you will catch many trout. And each year these trout are getting bigger! 2022: 12-14 inches, by 2023: 14-17 inches. And if you stay overnight at the cabins, you will see elk, deer and hear Sandhill Cranes, and coyotes in the evenings.

Rules: Fly fishing only with bent down barbs. Please try to keep trout in water when releasing, other than a quick picture of a few. And each paying rod holder may keep 3 trout for consumption. And if you intend to keep some trout, try to keep those that got hooked deeper. Trout are very sensitive and you would be surprised how fast they can die from a deeper taken fly hook.

Muskrat Pond and the Big Dam Pond are contributing to a riparian restoration story at the ranch. A myriad of wildlife species, including birds are already benefiting from the development of these ponds. Insects are also thriving, a key component to any conservation effort and often overlooked. We know you’ll enjoy the fishing. Join us in celebrating the positive impact these ponds are making in this gem of a valley at the Montana Mexican John Ranch.