Great Time to Fish Fort Peck Reservoir: Eastern Montana Fishing Report
By Matt Schauer

Posted: September 12, 2012

Please be advised that the extremely hot weather has been making precarious high wind conditions as well as potential for heat stroke. Please use caution while on the waters . Call the contact person in the area you are planning on fishing for current daily information. Also use extreme caution on the water at all times. Good Luck Fishing from the Montana Outdoor Radio Crew.

***Bill – Rock Creek Marina 1-406-485-2560

“Fishing is still awesome,” Bill said. Fishing is hot for walleyes. They are catching them at 10 to 15 feet using worms and slow death hooks. Northern pike are liking cranks and spoons at 8 to 15 feet. Cranks are working on the points for bass. “It is still really, really good fishing,” Bill explained.

***Grant – Crooked Creek Marina 1-406-429-2999

Crooked Creek Fort Peck Reservoir

“Yesterday I talked to Gary Landcaster and his group. They fished for 12 hours and I got to hear how they did when they returned,” Grant said. Here is what he heard from them: Jig and crawler harnesses were catching fish. It was a little bit windy but they were having success catching eatable fillets at depths of 15 to 25 feet in the majority of water. It was not uncommon to catch fish anywhere at 8 to 30 feet. The fishermen said, “the rewards for 12 hours of fishing were walleye, pike and crappie.”

***Clint Thomas – Hell Creek Marina 1-406- 557-2345

Jessie explained, “Small mouth, bass and northern pike are hitting really good. Walleye are picking up at 25 to 30 feet. Northern pike are biting on fire tigers and cranks,” Jessie said. Pike are being found at 16 to 20 feet. Find the smallmouth in the shallows now. Walleye are liking chartreuse color and jigs with a crawler.

***Gene Moore – Lake Ridge Motel 1-406-526-3597

Fort Peck Reservoir Dam/Bear Creek/Pines

Gene reported, “the spillway below Fort Peck dam is closed again. Salmon have been caught at the dam, although is a bit slower. Catching them is hit and miss. They are being caught at 75 to 85 feet. The walleye are biting as well. Also, the lake trout bite has been pretty good. The walleye are being caught at Grave Point, Bell Point and the Pines area. Try using flutter spoons and squids.”

***Dan – West Side Sports –  1-406-654-1611

Nelson, Forchette

Dan at West Side Sports told us, “Not a lot of change on Nelson. They are still finding bottom bouncers, and crankbaits are working . Crawlers are working for northern also right now.” Dan also said, “a bit longer to catch some days.”

Forchette is a bit slow. The guys are using bottom bouncers on walleyes there too . Pike are biting on cranks. “The weather is cooler but things have not changed much yet,” Dan explained.

***Deadmans and Martinsdale

Not many people on the water. No boat checks made this week. Martinsdale’s worm fishing is poor from shore. Boat fishing is okay and people are catching rainbows. The river is producing browns. It is low though.

Deadmans trout fishing is about the same. No anglers were doing much.

***Matt Stephens- Tongue River Marina 1-406-757-2225

Tongue River Reservoir

Matt said, “smallmouth bass and largemouth bass fishing is good. The water is low, but not low enough to stop fishing. Jig with worm harness and cranks are working the best,” he said. Walleye fishing is good right now. Whatever you can find is working, wherever you find them.

***Sharon – Silos Marina 1-406-266-3100

Canyon Ferry

Fishing was decent this week mostly on the east side.”People are still fishing the Hole in the Wall. Usually they’re found at 6 to 20 feet depth,” Sharon said. “The catch often is northern pike. People are jigging and bottom bouncing for them. They are biting on whatever your poison is right now.”

*** Allen Camarillo – Minnow Bucket 1-406-348-2440

“River water is definitely clearer. The moss has run its course. Smallmouth and sauger are being caught on crankbaits,” Allen said. They are catching small mouth and sauger. The lower Musselshell is coming on and they are catching smallmouth, bass and catfish. I have heard nice size 2 pounders.

***Lake Elmo Billings

Nate at Scheels reported someone caught some smallmouth bass from a non-motorized boat. They used plastic worms and were in the 2 pound range. Off shore fishing is still producing catches as well.

***Cooney Nate at Scheels, Billings

“Fishing is has been pretty good right now for walleye and surprisingly also perch,” Nate said. The perch have been 7 inches or so. A few have been 10 to 12 inches long. People have been using jigs. The water is low but fishing is still happening. The Marshall Cove boat ramp is closed because of low water.

***Don’s Charlie 1-800-879-8194

Lewistown East Fork Reservoir

Charlie said, “fishing is good. Spring Creek fishermen are using less hoppers. Bead head nymphs are working better. On the river, the catfish are biting, as are the sauger on worms. Fishermen at Crooked Creek are trolling with worms for walleyes. The depth they are finding them is 10 to 16 feet of water. A few are using bottom bouncers as well. The cooler temperatures are helping.”

The Eastern Montana Fishing Report, for the week of 9/11/12, was compiled by Carol Henckel.

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