Montana’s Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks says lake trout have been confirmed in Lindberg Lake.
The agency announced Tuesday that it conducted a spring gill net series and confirmed that lake trout have found their way into the 4 1/2-mile long, 725-acre lake.
Lindbergh Lake is in the Swan River Drainage, about 40 miles upstream from Swan Lake, where lake trout were confirmed to be present nine years ago.
On June 17, FWP crews captured four lake trout ranging from 16 to 19 inches. Three were captured in the upper end of Lindberg Lake and one in the outlet area.
Fisheries Biologist Leo Rosenthal says that in the weeks leading up to the sampling, he received three separate reports of lake trout caught by anglers in Lindbergh Lake, indicating the fish are likely abundant.
The nets also captured 10 bull trout and a number of northern pike minnow (formerly called squawfish), large-scale suckers, long-nose suckers, mountain whitefish and rainbow trout.
FWP said it is not known whether there is a spawning population of lake trout in Lindbergh Lake, or if the lake trout are migrants from downstream.