GAZETTE FISHING REPORT
Signs are there for good fishing ahead
By MARK HENCKEL
Gazette Outdoor Editor
Hopes for great fishing are on the horizon all across Montana and Northern Wyoming these days.
Some streams and rivers have already started to drop and clear from the high, muddy, snowmelt and rain waters of recent weeks.
Better yet, the first salmonflies have been reported on the Big Hole River and in the lower reaches of the Madison River.
For those who can read the signs, good stream fishing conditions across Montana are just a few weeks and a few zillion more gallons of high, muddy water away.
In the meantime, you can head for the lakes and reservoirs and find good fishing now.
Reports of good walleye action are coming from all parts of Fort Peck Reservoir, Nelson Reservoir and Tongue River Reservoir.
Reservoir trout fishing is good at Canyon Ferry, Ackley, Clark Canyon and Martinsdale.
With the snowpack retreating in the high country and the lower-level mountain lakes shedding their coating of ice, fishing is only going to get better all over in the weeks ahead.
Here's the weekly report:
- Absaroka-Beartooth Mountains
- The snow level is at 8,000 feet. Mystic Lake is open in the West Rosebud drainage. On the East Rosebud, Elk Lake is open, Rimrock is open and Rainbow is starting to open. - Jim Yeager, Old West Angler and Outfitters, Columbus.
- Ackley Lake
- Fishing is decent. Fly fishermen are using beadhead pheasant tail and prince nymphs. Bait fishermen are doing well with nightcrawlers and Power Bait form the shore. - Dave Storfa, Don's, Lewistown.
- Beaverhead River
- Fishermen are doing very well with nymphs and the PMDs are beginning to show up. The river is running at about 720 cfs and dry fly fishing should be good in 10 to 15 days. A lot of bugs are around the water and trout are feeding heavily. On cloudy days, streamers are working well. Within a week or so, the river below Grasshopper Creek should clear. - Tim Tollett, Frontier Anglers, Dillon.
- Big Hole River
- The water is as clear as a bell and the river is fishing very well. Salmon flies are beginning to make their annual appearance around Glen. Even with the warmer weather, the river is dropping. With current water levels, it takes a good fisherman to place casts into the willows and some hard work from the oarsman to hold the boat in place. - Tim Tollett, Frontier Anglers, Dillon.
- Bighorn Lake
- Fishing has been decent. Good walleyes have been taken near the landing and up the lake. Jigging off the rocks has been the best strategy, along with trolling with worm harnesses. Smallmouth bass action has been a bit slower in the past week. - Josh Anderson, Ok-A-Beh Marina.
- Bighorn River
- Flows are 9,950 cfs. Water temps have warmed to just over 50 degrees. Nymph fishing is excellent with pink or orange soft-hackle sowbugs in a size 14 trailing a size 16 flashback hare's ear or a flashback pheasant tail. Dry fly activity is pretty slim, with some midges hatching. Woolly bugger fishing is fair with a black or Bighorn bugger. - Todd Stapleton, Bighorn Fly and Tackle, Hardin.
- Boulder River
- Runoff has slowed and the river is running high but clear. Nymph fishing with beadheads, stonefly patterns and streamers are taking some trout. Weighted flies and some flash are the best bets. - Keith Kelly, Rainbow Run Fly Shop, Billings.
- Canyon Ferry Reservoir
- Walleye fishing is poor. Trout fishing is good. The best trout areas are in the northern half of the lake. Trolling with flutter spoons like the Rock 'n Roll and Rattlesnake is the best method. Most fish are down about 15 to 20 feet. Rainbows are running about 2 pounds apiece. Below the dam, fishing is good with Rapalas, fitted with a rubber core sinker to get it down deep. - Terry McArdle, Townsend Marine, Townsend.
- Clark Canyon Reservoir
- With the warmer weather, fishing is beginning to pick up again at the reservoir. Fishermen are doing well with callibaetis patterns. In another two to three weeks, the fish should begin to hit damsel flies on the surface. The shallower water on the Horse Prairie Creek side of the reservoir seems to be fishing the best. - Tim Tollett, Frontier Anglers, Dillon.
- Cooney Reservoir
- Trout fishing is good for trollers using cowbells and crawlers. Walleye fishing is picking up with late evening as the best time. Leeches are a good bet. - Dan Montoya, Cooney Dam Country Store.
- Deadman's Basin
- Fishing is relatively slow. - Tracy Goffena, Enjoy Sports, Roundup.
- Fort Peck Reservoir: Big Dry Arm
- Walleye fishing is good. Fish are in 6 to 12 feet of water. Worm harnesses are producing with chartreuse spinner blades working well. A lot of small fish being caught, with bigger fish running up to 8 pounds. Northern pike are also biting. Some are running up to 20 pounds. - Trent Schriver, Rock Creek Marina.
- Fort Peck Reservoir: Crooked Creek
- Fishing is good. A lot of small ones being caught with others running from 3 to 5 pounds. A 9-pound walleye was caught by Brian McMurray of Belgrade on a jig and minnow. A lot of 12 to 16-pound northern pike are being caught from the bank. A lot of debris is floating down the river into the area, so boaters should beware. - Ron Ronningen, Fort Musselshell Marina.
- Fort Peck Reservoir: Dam area
- Fishing is picking up. Lake trout are biting, with fish at 55 to 60 feet and deeper. Spoons and flashers and squids are working. Some 9 and 10-pound salmon are also being caught. Walleye fishing is picking up with a lot of small ones being taken. Some eight and 9-pounders are also starting to show up. Worm harnesses are producing walleyes, with crankbaits also starting to work. Smallmouth bass are also starting to bite well. Some sauger also being caught from the river below the dam. - Donna Moore, Lakeridge, Fort Peck.
- Fort Peck Reservoir: Fourchette Bay
- Action is picking up. Walleyes, northern pike and bass are all taking crankbaits with the perch-finish and blue-finish Frenzies as a good bet. Some 5 to 8-pound walleyes are being caught. Active fish are in 15 to 18 feet of water. - Susan Twiford, Westside Sports, Malta.
- Fort Peck Reservoir: Hell Creek
- Walleye fishing is good. Fish are everywhere from shallow to 20 feet. Bottom bouncers are starting to produce. Spencer King of Billings caught his first two northerns of his life - one 14 pounds and the other 17 pounds - on a bobber and minnow. - Joe Herbold, Hell Creek Bar, Jordan.
- Gallatin River
- Fishable one day, muddy the next. Water levels are dropping, but it's still relatively high. Trout fishermen are using big stonefly nymphs and golden stone nymphs. Above the Taylor's Fork, attractor dry flies are producing. - Brian Wainright, Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.
- Hauser Reservoir
- Big rainbows are being caught at Riverside from shore while using worms on the bottom. Between Black Sandy and York Bridge the salmon are hitting orange & green Triple-Teasers at 3 to 4 colors of leaded line. Good fishing for both trout and salmon can be had while using cowbells with green Wedding Rings tipped with worms, maggots, or corn. - Troy Humprey, FWP, Helena.
- Hebgen Lake
- Woolly buggers are taking some trout. The Rumbaugh Bay area has been producing. Boat fishermen are using a small-sized perch-colored Flatfish to take trout as well. - Nick Plazak, Bob Jacklin's Fly Shop, West Yellowstone.
- Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir
- Kokanee fishing is still very good with some nice sized salmon (upwards of 3 pounds) being caught by anglers trolling the usual hardware of cowbells and Wedding Rings tipped with a maggot. - Troy Humphrey, FWP, Helena.
- Holter Reservoir
- Rainbow trout fishing is good for anglers trolling between Split Rock and Black Beach while using cowbells and Wedding Rings or red Rock 'n Rolls. The walleye bite seems to be slowly taking off with a few being caught near Oxbow Bend using chartreuse bottom bouncers and nightcrawlers. Rapalas are a good bet if an angler is looking for a mixed creel of both trout and walleye. - Troy Humphrey, FWP, Helena.
- Madison River: Ennis
- The river was clearing until recent rains. Visibility was a foot-and-a-half. No action on salmonflies yet. Salmonfly nymph imitations close to the bank are producing for fly fishermen. Beadhead princes and pheasant tails are also working along with woolly buggers. - Glen Gallentine, Tackle Shop, Ennis.
- Madison River: Lower
- High, but relatively clear. Trout fishing is good with big salmonfly nymphs. Yellow streamers are also working well. A few adult salmonflies have been reported down low. - Brian Wainright, Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.
- Martinsdale Reservoir
- Trolling is good for trout with cowbells and crawlers working the best. Rapalas are also taking fish. The nicer rainbows are running about 2 pounds with occasional bigger brown trout being caught. - Dan McLaughlin, Mint Bar, Martinsdale.
- Missouri River: Below Holter
- Flow has dropped to 8,800 cfs. Trout fishing is decent, especially on nymphs like the pheasant tail, lightning bugs, and MFG's. Some caddis are hatching, especially on the lower river, with elk-hair caddis in sizes 14 and 16 a good match. A few baetis are also showing up. - Garry Stocker, Montana Fly Goods, Helena.
- Musselshell River: Lower
- Catfish fishing is good, with fish running up to the 4-pound range. The flow is high, but the water is clearing. - Tracy Goffena, Enjoy Sports, Roundup.
- Musselshell River: Upper
- River has started to drop and clear. Fishing should be good with big streamers or Rapalas or spoons of some sort. Bair and Sutherlin Reservoirs are also fishing well. At Bair, they're biting on just about anything. - Rick Hinand, Ray's Sport and Western Wear, Harlowton.
- Nelson Reservoir
- Walleye fishing is improving. An 11-pound walleye and 20-pound northern pike were reported over the weekend. Bottom bouncers are working well, with either crawlers or leeches. Walleyes are holding in about 15 feet of water. - Susan Twiford, Westside Sports, Malta.
- Poindexter Slough
- The popular slough near Dillon is fishing very well. There should be some very, very good fly fishing on the slough in maybe 10 days. - Tim Tollett, Frontier Anglers, Dillon.
- Ruby River
- Still blown out. - Tim Tollett, Frontier Anglers, Dillon.
- Smith River
- Flow is at 346 cfs. Dry fly patterns like golden stimulators and golden bird's stone fly have been taking trout. A few brown drakes and caddisflies are also on the water. Brown and black yuk bugs and buggers are good streamer patterns. - Garry Stocker, Montana Fly Goods, Helena.
- Spring Creek
- Fishing is good. The creek is a little murky, but some mayflies are hatching. Parachute Adams and standard Adams patterns are good bets. - Dave Storfa, Don's, Lewistown.
- Stillwater River: Lower
- Very high and muddy. - Jim Yeager, Old West Angler and Outfitters, Columbus.
- Stillwater River: Upper, Middle
- The river is running high but clear. Fly fishermen are taking some trout with weighted flies. Beadheads, stonefly patterns and streamers are best bets. - Keith Kelly, Rainbow Run Fly Shop, Billings.
- Tongue River Reservoir
- Fishing is good for crappie and smallmouth bass, with anglers using bright-colored jigs tipped with small and medium minnows. Walleye fishing has been improving, with fish in shallow water. Twelve-year-old Kellen Gerrard, of Billings, caught a 7.25-pound walleye on a chartreuse worm harness. The ranger also reported a 12-pound northern pike. - Kelly Eliason, Tongue River Marina.
- West Rosebud River
- The river is fishable for trout with size 14 attractor patterns working the best. West Rosebud Lake is fishing well in the late evening with Parachute Adams in size 16. - Jim Yeager, Old West Angler and Outfitters.
- Yellowstone National Park
- Firehole River is good, with PMDs, blue-wing olives and caddis hatching. The Gibbon River has some caddis hatching. Nymph fishing is also producing below the falls. Grebe Lake is fishing well with damselfly nymphs. Yellowstone Lake is producing both lake trout and cutthroats on woolly buggers. The lake trout are best in the West Thumb area. The ice should be off Lewis Lake by the weekend. - Nick Plazak, Bob Jacklin's Fly Shop, West Yellowstone.
- Yellowstone River: Billings
- Catfish fishing is picking up. Cut bait, shrimp and stink bait are all working. Most are running 2 to 3 pounds - good eating size. Some trout have also been caught at the diversion dam at Huntley. Ling are also biting on minnows and nightcrawlers. - Will Suralski, Minnow Bucket, Huntley.
- Yellowstone River: Columbus
- Very high and muddy. - Jim Yeager, Old West Angler and Outfitters.
- Yellowstone River: Intake
- Paddlefish snagging is good. The catch-and-keep paddlefish snagging season will close at 10 p.m. on June 18. Catch-and-release paddlefish snagging will continue for those with valid tags. - Les Reichelt, Intake concessionaire.
- Yellowstone River: Livingston
- High and muddy. - Lyn Dawson, Dan Bailey's Fly Shop, Livingston.
- Lake DeSmet
- Fishing is good, with boat fishermen taking them on trolling spoons, countdown Rapalas or worm harnesses. Bait fishermen are doing well from the banks with worms and spawn sacs. Trout are running up to about 19 inches. - Charlie Gould, Just Gone Fishing, Buffalo.
- Bighorn Mountian creeks
- Creeks are running high and iced-tea colored, but are fishable. Dry flies in sizes 14 and 16 and beadhead nymphs are producing. - Charlie Gould, Just Gone Fishing, Buffalo.
- Bighorn Mountain lakes
- Tie Hack Reservoir is fishing well for anglers fishing along shore with small spoons or spinners, bait for bubble and fly. No gas motors are allowed at Tie Hack. The ice is off Sherd Lake and people are using Jake's Lures and bubbles with mosquito larva flies. Some big cutthroats are being taken. Trigger and Brown Bear lakes are open, with beadhead nymphs or bait where the creeks come in producing the best. - Charlie Gould, Just Gone Fishing, Buffalo.
- Bighorn River
- Flows are still high. Some fishermen are out between Wedding of the Waters and Thermpolis. It's fishable. - Ken Kucera, The Outdoorsman, Worland.
- Boysen Reservoir
- The walleyes are biting well. Worm harnesses with a lightweight bottom bouncer are working well with bright-colored blades. Most action is in 4 to 8 feet of the dirtier water. Don't be afraid to fish the dirty water. Jig and leech combinations are also working. Most fish are running 16 to 17 inches. - Ken Kucera, The Outdoorsman, Worland.
- Buffalo Bill Reservoir
- The reservoir is getting dirty due to runoff. Some fish are being caught in shallow areas on Rapalas and Thomas lures. - Scott Aune, Absaroka Angler, Cody.
- Clarks Fork
- The upper river has been high, but fishable, above Crandall Creek. Visibility is 2 to 3 feet. Big halfback, bitch creek and Montana nymphs are the best bet. The lower river is high and muddy. - Scott Aune, Absaroka Angler, Cody.
- Middle Fork of the Powder River
- Water is still running high. The stonefly hatch is going on. Wading conditions are still dangerous. - Charlie Gould, Just Gone Fishing, Buffalo.
- North Fork of the Shoshone River
- The upper end is fishable, above Eagle Creek. Large nymphs are taking a lot of rainbows and cutthroats 16 to 18 inches long. Bitch creeks and halfbacks are good patterns to use. - Scott Aune, Absaroka Angler, Cody.
- Ten Sleep Creek
- Flow is high and it's tough to fish. Up high, it's clear. Down low, it's muddy. - Ken Kucera, The Outdoorsman, Worland.
Perry Backus, of the Montana Standard, contributed to the report. The Billings Gazette Fishing Report runs each Thursday in The Gazette and billingsgazette.com. For comments or questions, contact Gazette outdoor editor Mark Henckel by phone at: (406) 657-1395, or by e-mail at: henckel@bsw.net
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