With warm weather is here please be aware that it can be unpredictable. Enjoy yourself but remember alcohol alters your judgment So use it sparingly while enjoying the outdoors. Keep an eye on the weather as temperature, wind and precipitation can change quickly. This report is compiled on Monday and Tuesday and reflects conditions and results of fishing from the past week. If you wish other information feel free to contact most parties for current daily information.
Good luck fishing from the Montana Outdoor Radio Crew.
(Report compiled by Carol Henckel)
Rock Creek Marina-Bill 1-406-485-2560
“As fast as it turned on the week before it turned off last Friday. We
had a thunder and lightning storm and everything stopped. The wind also
picked up. We had the Rock Creek tournament on Saturday and Sunday. It
was tough fishing. We had 95 teams. 1st place was won by Gary Cayko
-Bismarck and Brandon Babb-Wolf Point with 40.8 pounds. 2nd place was won
by Tim and Steve Linder-Glendive with 24.96. 3rd place winners were Troy
and Jamie Egge with 22 ½ pounds. The biggest northern pike was 42 inches.
The biggest walleye was 32 ½ inches,” Bill said.
We are open 7 to 9 all week and 7to 9 on the weekend.
Tongue River Reservoir /Bob Pederson
“They are catching a few walleyes. The crappie bite is real good right
now. I saw one pike and a catfish caught. Go close 15 feet from
shore.You will find the carp, walleye and bass there. They have been
catching a lot of crappies The water has gone down a little. Crappies
were caught in late evening and early morning,” Bailey reports.
Tongue River Marina 1-406-757-2225 Wade Stephannie /Warden Jordan Straley
Stephanie tells us,” The crappie are biting like crazy. I have also seen
some walleye and bass caught. They are definitely catching more crappie.
The walleye are absolutely in the shore line. If you know where to look
and how to fish them they are pulling them out. It is muddy toward the
river. The water is over the spillway. They are using the usual worms and
minnows.”
Stephanie and Wade Bastrom now run the Tongue river Marina. The Marina
schedule is Monday to Thursday 8 to 6 pm, On Friday and Saturday 7 to 9 pm
and Sunday, 7 to 6 pm. We will have minnows, leaches and night crawlers.
Clint Thomas- Hell Creek Marina 1-406- 557-2345 Craig Putchat-Park Office
Hell Creek-Fort Peck Reservoir
“The fish are hitting real well. The guys are pitching spoons for
northern pikes. For the walleye they are using bottom bouncers aminnow
jigging real deep. They are finding them on the main lake points. The
small mouth have been real good, just as good as the pike,“ Deb says.
Gene Moore Lake Ridge Motel 1-406-526-3597
Gene, of Lake Ridge said,” They are doing really well on Lake trout,
Fishermen are finding them at Bear Creek, Hacksbee point and the 2 marker
. Northern pike and small mouth bass are pretty dang good fishing. The
lake trout are varying in depths. You can find them anywhere from 40 to
100 feet. The guys are using down riggers. The walleye are damn slow
right now. I predict when the water warms up a little the walleye are
going to really come on with a big bite. It won’t be long.”
Lake Elmo Billings FWP-Bob Gibson
Ken says,” From what I am seeing fishing is good. I saw some guys
getting 3 or 4 in a short period of time. They are fishing on the
bottom with power bait. They are getting a lot of rainbow trout as
well as brown trout. The fly fishermen are getting carp in the weeds.
Right now Lake Elmo is up and full. The water is starting to warm up.“
Cooney Reservoir Jenny/ Malerie/ Glenis
Glenis says, ” Marshall Cove is closed because of the high water and the
days use area. Everything else is open. There is a little water on the
fisherman point road at times. The fishing has been incredibly slow. The
best time to fish is before 9 am and after 8pm. It appears that the
water has gone down a little. Water is over the spillway.”
Deadmans Tony Stefani
Tony says,” Fishing was slower this week. We had a huge number of
recreation boaters. Many more than we usually have. That made fishing
hard so we had very few boats fishing. They had been catching rainbow
trout and salmon using powerbait and worms.”
Deadmans/Martinsdale Cozy Corner Bar Lavina 406-636-22
“Guys at Martinsdale are catching nice size rainbows from shore. They are
using powerbait, worms and marshmallows. Not hearing about any boat
fishing mostly shore. There is still a lot of action at Broadview Pond.
They still are catching,” Terry said.
Don’s Lewistown-Dale 1-800-879-819
“On the Missouri the cat fishing is fair. They are using night
crawlers and cut bait. At Fort Peck Lake and Forchette are doing really
well for walleye and black crappie. Achley is fair fishing from boat
and shore. The bass are biting. Fly fishermen are doing well. From the
boat spin fishing is working using a white sucker. Try bottom
bouncers. It seems you do better if you know allot about the water and
fishing right now,” Dale says.
Crooked Creek-Grant
The number to check if it is open is 1-406-429-2999. Heard they are
catching some crappies.
Minnow Bucket-Eddie White 696-1281
Eddie said,” I fished the Milk River tournament for cats this past
weekend. We got 25.77 pounds. We used cut suckers and shrimp. The
Yellowstone River has lowered a couple feet by Huntley. It is fishing
good for cat fish. At Tongue crappies are fishing excellent. People
are only getting a few walleye. At Olka Bay and Yellowtail they seem
to be catching only a few bass. At Deadmans guys are catching Kokanee
and rainbow.”
We are now in summer hours. We are closed Monday. On Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday we are open 11 to 5, Friday 11 to 7, Saturday 7
to 7 and Sunday 7 to 5pm.
Silos Canyon Ferry-Sharon
Sharon says,” Fishing has been good this week. It seems to be good all
over the lake it seems. It seems it just is not good in one particular
place, just everywhere. People are using just about everything from
cranks, to bottom bouncer to worm harnesses. Water temperature is 68 to
70 degrees.” The Marina is open. Hours are 7 am to 7 pm.
West Side Sports Jim Mayer 1-406-654-1611
Jim said, “At Nelson Reservoir the walleye continue to bite. They are
still catching but it can be spotty. Guys are catching walleye and
northern pike. At Forchette right now it is the 100 per cent hotspot.
People are catching walleye, pike and small mouth.”
Shop hours are 8 to 6 Monday to Saturday and closed on Sunday. Stop in
any time
Billings-Scheels Josh says,” I hear at Hell Creek the walleye are moving
towards the East. They are getting closer to Hell Creek. The northern pike
are phenomenal right now. . On Tongue the water was pretty dirty. It
looked like dark coffee stain. It is full. We trolled 15 feet from the
cliffs going 1 mile an hour. We used 1/16 oz chartreuse color jig. Then
we tried a vertical jig with minnow. A 2 inch Mr. Twister worked as
well.At Gilbert Creek they were having success on Mepps spinners. We
caught 1 perch, 3 walleye, 25 bass and 31 crappie. On Yellowtail guys
are catching some nice bass. At Cooney you can catch a few trolling a
crank. We got some small ones 12 to 16inchers. At Rock Creek it turned
off and it was tough fishing.”
Rich’s Tackle Richard 406-285-4540
” The rivers have dropped a little and are still muddy. The Madison is
the best. At Canyon Ferry the fishing is real good. It was really good
last Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday the guys caught 2, 31 inches
long. They have been catching some big walleye 10 pounds and bigger.”,
Rich says. Shop hours are Sunday 12 to 4 pm. Closed Monday. Tuesday to
Saturday 7am to 6 pm. You can always call ahead if you are coming through
and need something on off hours and we may be able to help.
Stillwater Anglers-Chris 406-322-4977
Chris says,” The Stillwater is really dirty. It is up significally. The
Yellowstone is blown out. You just can’t fish it. You might be able to
fish a small tributaries off the Stillwater. The rivers are running way
to high and just not safe. “
We now are in spring hours in the shop and are open Tuesday to Sat. from
9 am to 2 pm. We are closed Monday and Sunday.
Big Horn Trout Shop Fort Smith 666-237
Stephanie says,” Tomorrow they are raising the cfs to 14000. So you have
really high water. It is good fishing. Nymphing is very good, it is
fabulous. Streamers are very poor fishing. There is very little walking
access for the whole river. There are very limited spots to get on. Right
now there is no boat rentals.” Our shop hours are 7 am to noon now Monday
to Sunday.
