[checklist]
- Still lots of open water fishing
- Hyalite has a solid 8 inches of ice
- Moonlight and Big Sky keep stacking up snow[/checklist]
We got plenty of Open Water in these parts, starting with the Gallatin, the Lower Madison, and the Beaverhead. Any of these are just about perfect in this STRANGELY warm weather…no ICE FLOES or slush, and even temperatures in the afternoons! The Beaverhead is closed from the Dam down to Pipe Organ but open and fishable below that—try your scuds (size 14-16), sow bugs (14’s), eggs and worms for great results here…on the Gallatin, it’s not rare to see a nice midge hatch right now, so pack the box with Dry Midge Emergers, worms & egg patterns.
The Lower Madison has seen some hotness with crayfish in addition to the usual eggs & worms! Heck, you can even get on the Yellowstone easily, & it’s usually pretty ice-clogged this time of year…try Stonefly imitations if you go!
You’ve got your choice for ICE FISHING too…we still swear by Georgetown Lake, Hyalite Reservoir & Lake Delmoe in our area of the state! Kokanee is still the happenin’ fish on Georgetown Lake, & the ice is solid at Denton’s or Comers…Hyalite has a solid 8” with some further inches of hard snow on top of that, and the fishing is decent w/your favorite jigs, or try a rubber legged girdle bug for something different…Delmoe has a good solid 10-12” too, & is fishing better in the mornings…vertical jigs & glo hooks with maggots or grubs are ideal here!
SKIING on the slopes, Moonlight & Big Sky added another 3-4” this week, while Bridger got very little from the “storm” (and I use that term lightly) that blew through early in the week. Nevertheless, all lifts are open at all 3 resorts…just watch the trails and terrain areas for THIN snow!
Report from ANGIE at Bob Ward & Sons, with the BEST fishing in the Butte & Bozeman areas!
