Dude Lake

Drainage: Rock Creek
Approaches: West Fork Rock Creek Trailhead, approximately 12 mi round trip; roughly 2,300 ft of climbing. About 5 mi on trail, then approximately 1 mi off-trail up the outlet stream
Elevation: 10,198 feet
Fish: Yellowstone cutthroat (FWP)
Coordinates: 45.13639, -109.58455
Bugs: Minimal on our visit

Getting there

The West Fork Rock Creek Trailhead sits southwest of Red Lodge at the end of the West Fork road. Follow the main trail up the West Fork about five miles, then leave it and climb the outlet stream. There is a good path most of the way, running along the south side of the creek.

Senal Lake is roughly two tenths of a mile southwest of Dude and shares the same climb, so most people take both in one push. Lake Mary sits about a mile and a half northeast in a separate basin behind a ridge, on its own trail out of Quinnebaugh Meadows.

The hike

The trail miles go by easily. The climb up the outlet stream is where the day happens, and it is most of the roughly 2,300 feet of gain.

Dude sits at 10,198 feet, well above timberline. About fourteen acres, running roughly thirty feet deep on average.

Tips & safety

• Navigation: stay on the south side of the outlet stream on the way up. There is a path for most of it, but it is not maintained and it comes and goes.

• Camping: above timberline, with poor rocky sites and scarce firewood. If you are staying the night, camp lower.

• Fishing: Yellowstone cutthroat (FWP), stocked on an eight-year rotation. The 2021 survey found seventeen fish averaging about twelve inches and the crew noted they ran a little thin. A 2012 survey found fish averaging around fourteen. Cutthroat from Dude have worked their way down into Senal and are doing well there. Brook trout were planted in 1931 and 1938 and are gone.

• Bugs: minimal on our visit.

• Berries: Keep an eye out for wild strawberries they where pretty plentiful on this journey