Emerald Lake (West Rosebud)

Drainage: West Rosebud
Approaches: Roadside on West Rosebud Road, no walking required
Elevation: 6,396 feet
Fish: Brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout (FWP)
Coordinates: 45.25644, -109.69417
Bugs: Minimal on our visit

Getting there

Emerald sits directly off West Rosebud Road on the way to the Mystic Lake Trailhead. You drive to it. There is a pullout at the shoreline and you are at the water within a minute of stepping out of the vehicle.

The hike

There isn't one, and that is the point.

No trail, no elevation, no walking. This is water you can fish, look at, or eat lunch beside without carrying anything anywhere. At 6,396 feet it sits well below everything else in the drainage, which also makes it accessible earlier and later in the season than the high lakes.

FWP lists brook trout, brown trout and rainbow trout. Three species is more than any of the backcountry lakes in this drainage carry, and it is the only water here where you can fish from a few steps out of the car.

For anyone driving up to Mystic, this is the stop on the way. For anyone not walking eight miles into the upper valley, it is one of the few places in West Rosebud you can reach at all.

Tips & safety

• Three species, no walking. Brook, brown and rainbow. The most varied fishing in the drainage and the easiest to get to.

• Season: at 6,396 feet this opens up long before the high lakes and stays open later.

• On the way to Mystic: if you are heading to the trailhead anyway, it costs you five minutes.