Please be advised that ice conditions can change daily. Feel free to call the contact person in the area you are planning on fishing for current daily information. Remember to use extreme caution on the ice at all times.
Good luck fishing from the Montana Outdoor Radio Crew!
Rock Creek Marina – Bill (406) 485-2560
Ice is 5-9 inches in the Back Bay. It just formed last Tuesday. “I have seen one Northern pike and some perch” reports Bill of Rock Creek Marina.
Crooked Creek Fort Peck Reservoir – Bob at Bob’s Bait Shop (406) 429-2086
Bob at Crooked Creek has had quite a few fishermen coming in. The ice is 18-21 inches. Right now the fishing is really good. “ They are catching a lot of Northerns on with minnows on tip-ups. A few of the anglers are jigging” he said. The bite is really good! One angler caught a northern pike 44 inches long with a 19 inch girth. The road is fairly good right now. You can find crappie and perch along the tree line in the Bay. The walleye bite has slowed down.
Tongue River Reservoir – Bob Peterson
Talking to the few fishermen who have fished the reservoir Park Manager, Bob Peterson says he has been told catching has been terrible. We have ice 10 inches to 2 feet thick. Fishermen have told him they have caught a few perch and he has heard of 3 walleyes caught since Saturday. Fishing is just tricky.
Hell Creek Marina – Clint Thomas (406) 557-2345
There is ice on Hell Creek. We have 5-6 inches on the Bay. People are running 4 wheelers only. The ice has just come on the lake and is 2 ½ to 3 inches thick. Clint believes by the weekend ice thickness will be better. Walleye fishing is just okay and northern pike fishing is a bit better. Clint has seen several Northerns in the last two days weighing 6-10 pounds.
Fort Peck Reservoir Dam/Bear Creek/Pines – Gene Moore Lake Ridge Motel (406) 526-3597
Gene Moore, of Lake Ridge says the Fort Peck Dam area has 2 ½ to 3 inches of ice. The main lake is now froze temperatures are above freezing so who knows if it will last. The boat dock below the dam is open. People are fishing from boats and doing well. They are catching walleye and sauger using jigs and minnows. “Duck Creek has spotty ice”: Gene said. Fishermen are catching Perch in the Bay which is a bit unusual. They are catching fish as well at Nelson Creek down the Dry Arm.
Fort Peck Fourchette Bay – Dan, from West Side Sports (406) 654-1611
Nelson Reservoir
This weekend, Saturday, Jan. 28th the local Murphs Memorial all class tournament will be on Nelson Reservoir . All Class is labeled walleye, Northern pike and perch, Dan at West Side Sports tells us.” The Ice is good with depths at up to 14 inches if not more,” he says. They are seeing Northerns being caught but walleye fishing is slow. Perch fishing has been excellent. They are catching perch on small minnows.
On Fourchette Bay, the west end of Fort Peck Reservoir the ice is not good. In the bay the ice close in is 12 inches but farther out it is 3-5 inches. They are using only 4 wheelers to get onto the ice . Walleye fishing is pretty slow . Not many fishermen are seen on the ice yet.
Minnow Bucket – Allen Camarillo (406) 348-2440
The Minnow Bucket has a new owner. Allen Camarillo tells us that he has heard of fishermen heading to Crooked Creek. One fellow has gone every weekend and is doing really well. Other fishermen have told him they are going to the boat dock area and finding the ice good enough to fish.
He also has heard that Tongue River has been fishing well for crappie and perch. One gentleman was catching a few walleye as well.
Lake Elmo – Billings
This past weekend people were ice fishing on Lake Elmo. Ice had just formed just the week before. Due to the weather warming up to 46 degrees on Tuesday fishermen should check on ice conditions daily and sometimes hourly before going on the ice. Some running water close to shore has been seen on one end today.
This report was compiled by Carol Henckel
