Deadman's Basin Reservoir.gif)
Save money by getting the right camping gear. Visit
our Camping
Gear section for detailed shopping and product information
about tents,
sleeping
bags, water
filters, backpacks
and other camping gear.
 The
name is one of the more intriguing things about this reservoir.
Lying out in the middle of nowhere in the vast prairie of
central Montana, near the Musselshell
River and the small town of Ryegate, MT, Deadmans Basin
Reservoir is not slated to become a Montana fly fishing destination
anytime soon. The reservoir itself is more than 2000 acres
and up to 100 feet deep at normal water levels. As Deadmans
Reservoir lies in a drought stricken area of Montana, and
heavy irrigation use severely draws down the water by late
summer, water levels can become quite low - often leaving
the boat ramp well out of the water. Few trees are found in
this part of the state once away from a river and the lake
reflects this - predominantly grassy hillsides surround the
reservoir. While the surrounding countryside is basically
devoid of trees and consists of rolling prairie, the Crazy
Mountains and the Belt
Mountains loom in the distance, providing for some nice
scenic vistas.
The bulk of the
use on Deadmans Basin Reservoir comes from recreational boating,
swimming and camping. A nice fishing access site has been
developed around the southwest part of the lake, making for
a nice place for nearby fisherman and pleasure seekers to
come on pleasant summer days. The busiest times on this reservoir
will be on summer weekend days, especially when the reservoir
is full. While some out-state people manage to find their
way to this isolated reservoir, the bulk of the use on the
reservoir comes from locals. Seeing an out-state license plate
in the parking lot is a rare thing.
That all said,
Deadmans Basin Reservoir has some decent fishing for both
rainbow trout and brown trout. The reservoir is heavily stocked
with rainbows each year. The low fishing pressure, coupled
with the lakes isolation, give the fish an opportunity to
obtain some decent sizes - often exceeding 2 pounds, with
the average rainbow trout averaging 12-14 inches.
 As
this is lake fishing, and Dead Mans Reservoir is fairly large,
a boat or float tube comes in handy to cover the most water.
Just beware on the float tube - it can get awfully windy in
this region of the state, making for interesting conditions
for tubers. Streamers are an excellent fly choice, fishing
them down deep, and offer the best chance of catching a large
trout. A sinking or sink tip line can be handy to take these
flies down to depth. Wet flies are also effective. When the
trout are actively feeding on top, standard dry flies such
as the Elk Hair Caddis and the Parachute Adams can also be
effective. Finally, spin fisherman can make effective use
of spoons and spinners as well as using standard live baits.
Anyone venturing
out to Deadmans Basin Reservoir will be along way from any
major town and should thus bring everything they will need.
The largest town in the area is Harlowtown (about 20 miles
away), which does offer some services, as this town serves
as the hub of the surrounding area. Beyond Harlowtown, though,
little will be found. Most of the towns found off Highway
12 (which parallels the Musselshell
River) are exceedingly small, often with little more than
a small gas station/general store.
Top
of Page
|
.jpg)
.jpg)
