Eastern Montana Fishing Report for the Week of 5.27.13
By angelamontana

Posted: May 29, 2013
(photo courtesy of 123rf.com)
 

Report compiled by Carol Henckel

Please be advised that conditions can change daily so please call the contact person in the area you are planning on FISHING for current daily information. Weather is changing and some days wind can be a big factor.

Keep an eye on the weather while you are out there and stay safe.

Good luck FISHING from the Montana Outdoor Radio Crew.

Linda -Rock Creek Marina 1-406-485-2560
“Fishing was good this week. I have 6 pictures of nice walleye caught from 27 inches to 32 inches. The 32 incher was 11.6 pounds They are doing them all, using jigs with worms, but mostly liking minnows and leeches.

Orange jigs with black eyes and minnows seem to work. Some nice bass have been caught as well. I caught a real nice ne 14 inches long and with a girth of over 4 inches. That was caught in the bay. We have been telling people to head south to the Dry arm toward Nelson Creek, Linda said. Still catching Northern Pike here.

Tongue River Reservoir- Bob Peterson
Tongue River Marina 1-406-757-2225 Colton
“People were out. They are using lots of minnows and leeches. Jigging is the thing to do. They were not catching a lot of crappies or
walleyes. They are just consistently catching. An out of stater caught a 17 incher that could have been the state record but he decided to fillet it instead,”Colton says. Some small mouth eaters are also being caught.

Clint Thomas- Hell Creek Marina 1-406- 557-2345
Hell Creek-Fort Peck Reservoir
“We had a lot of thunder and lightning and thunder and we had two days with no power or phone service. Northern Pike, walleye and bass are fishing well and being found in shallow water at 4 to 15 feet.

Seems to be you get a limit on anything you fish for right now. The best places are Sutherland and Snow Creek. Small mouth bass are at 6 to 10 feet in shallow. Spoons are working shallow on pike,” Clint says. If you can’t get the phone to go through keep trying they are working on the problem.

Gene Moore Lake Ridge Motel 1-406-526-3597
Gene Moore, of Lake Ridge says,” The weather has been nice the last three days and it just rains at night. Northern Pike are being caught everywhere it seems. Dry arm is good for walleye using smelt and a minnow. Lake trout are picking up. Lindy’s are also working.” The dry arm is good for walleye with smelt and minnow. Duck Creek, Bear Creek and Flat Lake are picking up for walleye and northern.” Gene tells me, “fishing is picking up on the river. Tail Race is producing walleye and sugar. Jigs and minnows working best because the water is still a little cool, about 48 to 50 degrees.”

Lake Elmo Billings
Trout and a few catfish are being caught. The headgate has been repaired now. With the rain and headgate repair the water is higher than people have seen in a long time.

Cooney Reservoir -Jenny
Trout are catching from shore. Walleye fishing has picked up by the dam.

Walleyes are going deep and they are trolling for them. Deep divers Rapela has sometimes brought success. The lake is rising with the rain.

Deadmans/Martinsdale Justin

“Deadmans is poor to okay. Some people are catching a few rainbows,” Justin says.

Martinsdale

“Fishing picking up a bit at Martinsdale. You can launch a boat now. The water is up a couple of feet. They are catching rainbow from shore. The water is coming up,” Justin said.

The river is clearing up. They are catching browns but the catching is pretty variable.

Don’s Lewistown- Dale
”Achley Lake is doing well. It has been a bit rainy. Shore fishing for trout is good with bait,” Dale says. The Missouri has been doing well for catfish. From the PN Bridge to Slippery Ann they are catching catfish. The Lake has been fair. It has blown out and people using crawlers are having some success.

Crooked Creek-Grant
Due to water levels being too low you cannot fish or use your boat at Crooked Creek. The marina will not be open. It is closed but cabins are still available for other uses just call 1-406-429-2999.

Lewistown Sports-Dave
May flies are slowing on Spring Creek and trout are being caught.

Missouri river is doing well. You can catch catfish, walleye and northerns off the shore. They are using a hook and sinker and minnows.
Water is clearing.

Minnow Bucket-Allen Camarillo 861-0156

The Yellowstone has blown up. It is dirty, dirty and rising. Try Huntley and down for catfish. Even with the rain the lakes are a better bet as the river is too muddy.

Silos Canyon Ferry-Sharon

“Fishing has been slow but we have a full moon coming up so we may see it get better. Plenty of rainbows big ones 2 to 4 pounds. Cranks, bottom bouncers and worms are worth a try. The lake is up and the water is cloudy. It is up 3 feet and will probably still go up 2 feet. Shore fishing not bad. Broadway Rod and Gun Tournament is moved to Canyon Ferry this year instead of Goose Bay on July 12 th”, Sharon says.

West Side Sports Dan 1-406-654-1611

“Nelson is pretty good fishing. They are using bottom bouncers and a night crawler. Color does not seem to matter. Some are using worm harnesses for pike, Dan says. “ Use cranks at 8 to 30 feet,” Dan says.

Forchette is low but you can now get a boat in if you are real careful.

Just go slow.

Billings-Scheels Lucky

Rock Creek at Fort Peck is fishing a shallow bite. They are catching walleye and pike. Bug Creek has nice small mouth as well.
Cooney is good fishing pre rain. They are using slow death with gulp crawlers.

Tongue river is good. Bass fishing is good. Walleye fishing is picking up.

Yellowstone is good for catfish but you have to be really careful it is really dangerous. Lots of debris in the muddy water.

Fort Peck at the dry arm. I caught walleye 14 to 30 inches. It is as good as it can get. Look at the presentation of the fish. Use bottom walkers and a snap jigging are working. The water is up. You can put in at Nelson just take it easy. Prairie dog and Table top island are best. It is not over the spill way yet,” Lucky says.

Cooney surprised people with some walleye being called in the 2 pound range. Every kind of bottom walker seems to be working
Nelson Reservoir is really good. Some have caught 18 inch walleye.

Petrolia seems to be slowing for walleye. The perch have tabled off.

Rich’s Tackle – Richard
Not much traffic here with the rain. Cloudy all week. We have LOTS of worms.

Yellowtail/ Big Horn –Dave Egdorf 406-665-3489

“We have had a wet, rainy really ugly week with wind and lots of rain,” Dave says.

“Walleye spawning is done, go deep with minnows and jigs. It is active in the wee hour in the arm and pm. Use a jig with a minnow. A few crappies are being caught. Not real big though, “Dave explains.

Willow Creek Reservoir- “They are catching nice rainbow trout, “Dave says.

“Big Horn river slowish right now. The river is coming down. Soap Creek is muddy,”Dave says.

Yellowstone is muddy and slowing down.

Intake Concessions – Glendive
“As of 12 pm on 5/29 the count for the season is at 562 with 29 today.

The cut off is at 840. Thursday is catch and release. Friday and Saturday will be catch and keep and they expect to be done by Monday. Monday we suspect will start the 10 days of catch and release to end the season, the staff member said. People can get tags at Ace Hardware and the Beer Jug in Glendive we were told.

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