Martes Lake

Drainage: Stillwater
Approaches: Approximately 37 miles round trip from the Box Canyon trailhead, with roughly 3,600 feet of climbing. The last half mile is off trail.
Elevation: 9,433 feet
Fish: Yellowstone cutthroat, common and stocked. Montana FWP.
Coordinates: 45.24986, -110.08505
Bugs: Mosquitoes, just bad enough to be annoying.

Getting there

Box Canyon Trail #27 the long way across the plateau, then off trail for the last half mile. The lake sits north of the middle fork of Wounded Man Creek. FWP also lists the Upsidedown and Woodbine trails as ways in.

We came from Jordan after picking our packs back up, about 200 feet of climbing and three miles, and it took a bit under three hours. Coming off the trail we crossed a big open field to get here.

We saw a good-sized black bear in that field, close enough to camp to make us think about it. I set a bear perimeter around my hammock that night.

The hike

Martes usually produces large fish, and FWP manages it that way on purpose. They cut the plant to 50 fish per acre in 1995 specifically to boost growth rates, and it worked — their 2019 survey pulled only 3 cutthroat but they averaged 16.6 inches and ran to 18.1. In 2009 they got 22 averaging 14 inches.

That is the trade. Fewer fish, bigger fish. FWP's own summary of 2019 was low numbers of decent sized cutthroat. It gets 875 fish every eight years, most recently 2019, with the next due in 2027.

The lake is 17.5 acres and 33 feet at the deepest.

There are good camp spots at the east end with plenty of fuel, and that is where we stayed.

Tips & safety

• Navigation: On trail most of the way, off trail the last half mile across a big open field. The lake is north of the middle fork of Wounded Man Creek.

• Camping: Good spots at the east end with plenty of firewood.

• Fishing: Understocked on purpose to grow big fish. Expect few and large — FWP's last three fish averaged over 16 inches.

• Bugs: Mosquitoes, annoying rather than bad.

• Bears: We saw a good-sized black bear in the open field on the way in, close enough to camp that we took precautions.