Helena Area Reservoirs Fishing Report 2.26.18
By angelamontana

Posted: February 26, 2018

Anglers are reminded that ice conditions can be extremely variable.  Ice thickness can range from thick enough to support a vehicle to open water.  Extreme caution should be used when accessing the ice.

Canyon Ferry:  Successful rainbow trout anglers are finding fish in 10 to 20 feet of water between the Silos and Hole-in-the-Wall using micro jigs or ice flies tipped with worms or maggots. Yellow perch and walleye are being caught between the Silos and Duck Creek Bay using Hali jigs or Swedish Pimples, tipped with maggots, in 20 to 40 feet of water.  Ice conditions were reported at 16 to 21 inches from Pond 4 to Hole-in-the-Wall and 14 inches at the Shannon Access boat ramp on the north end of reservoir.

Weekly fishing reports for Canyon Ferry, and other area waters, can now be found within FWP’s new web-based fisheries tool known as FishMT.  The web address to FishMT’s Canyon Ferry waterbody page is: https://myfwp.mt.gov/fishMT/detail.action?wbID=42585 .   Adam Strainer, FWP, Helena

Hauser:  Rainbow fishing is good through the ice in the Causeway, at York Bridge and around Black Sandy while using jigs and maggots in ten to twenty feet of water.  Rainbows are being caught in open water below Canyon Ferry Dam on worms or spawn sacks.  Perch, walleye and ling fishing are very slow.  The ice in the Causeway is 15 to 18 inches and around Black Sandy there is 20 inches of ice. Troy Humphrey, FWP, Helena

Holter:  Perch fishing is good around Departure Point, the prairie dog town and around Split Rock for those willing to venture across the ice. Most perch are being caught in 15 to 50 feet of water on jigs and maggots or worms. More rainbows are starting to be caught mainly by anglers targeting perch. There is 12 to 20 inches of ice around Log Gulch, Departure Point and Holter Ramp.  Troy Humphrey, FWP, Helena

Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir:  Kokanee action continues to be a bit inconsistent with the best action occurring while using jigs tipped with maggots or corn in 20-35 feet of water.  Perch are being caught just off the bottom in 10 to 20 feet of water; however most perch are small.  There is 20 to 24 inches of ice.  Troy Humphrey, FWP, Helena

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