Please be advised that ice conditions can change daily so please call the contact person in the area you are planning on fishing for current daily information. Also use extreme caution on the ice at all times. Good Luck Fishing from the Montana Outdoor Radio Crew.
***Bob-Bob’s Bait Shop 1-406- 429-2086
Crooked Creek Fort Peck Reservoir: We are seeing some Northerns and perch. They have caught 10 inch to 2 pound crappie. Someone caught a 15 pound walleye on Sunday. Fishermen are finding minnows are working. Some fishermen are trying nightcrawlers and smelt. “The ice is 13 to 18 inches in the Bay” Bob says, “ do not go to the Missouri river Channel, it is real, real thin. It just is not safe!”
***Bob Peterson-
Tongue River Reservoir: Park Manager, Bob Peterson says not much fishing going on at Tongue River Reservoir. The ice is at 10 inches with the warm weather . They have caught a few perch and a few walleye but action is really slow.
***Clint Thomas- Hell Creek Marina 1-406- 557-2345
Hell Creek-Fort Peck Reservoir:
Walleye fishing is sporatic. Fishermen are catching a lot of northern Ice depths are 6 inches to 25 feet depending on where you go. They are catching the fish a couple feet off the bottom using live minnows and tipups. Ice is 10 inches in the Bay. The main channel is at 4 to 5 inches thick and they recommend you not to go out there. No matter where you go on fort Peck people need to use good judgment.
***Gene Moore Lake ridge Motel 1-406-526-3597
Fort Peck Reservoir Dam/Bear Creek/Pines/
Gene Moore, of Lake Ridge says, “ The ice is still not good. The river dredge cuts are fishing fairly well. They are trying minnows on tip ups and are using jigging as well. The bays have 10 to 14 inches. Off the main points we just don’t know he said.” There is open water at Bear Creek. The middle of the lake is open in spots and really dangerous.
***West Side Sports –Dan 1-406-654-1611
Nelson, Forchette
Dan at West Side Sports tells us.” Fishing at Nelson is walk in only. Ice is questionable enough that we had a 4 wheeler go in. They are still fishing it,” he says. Fishing for Northerns is good but perch and walleye fishing is not as good. Walleye fishing is slow. People are using live minnows a lot. He suggests not taking pickups on the ice. “We haven’t heard of anyone going fishing on Forchette Bay. Conditions are changing quickly ,” Dan said
*** Silos Marina Sharon 266-3100
Canyon Ferry
“Perch fishing is picking up. Trout fishing is good. ”, Sharon said. Ice is 12 to 15 inches thick. “We have had cold nights and the ice has 1 inch of snow on it ” she said. You still need to be careful asl the pressure ridges are moving. In the middle we do have some open water ,” Sharon said, People have to be smart when going on ice. Stop in before you go out to hear what we know”
***Lake Elmo Billings
We have ice and people have been out there fishing. There are groups of fishermen on the South and North side of the lake. They are catching rainbows.
***Cooney
“Ice is a bit thicker in some spots. It is at a little more than a foot. Most are using an imitation crawdaddy body. The Willow Creek arm , RL Creek campground and fisherman’s point are still good. The ice is thinning especially close to shore in some places. At this point it is still strongly discouraged to use vehicles on ice because of fluctuating temperatures.
***Deadmans and Martinsdale
“It has been pretty windy here lately, “ Justin says,” Martinsdale has good ice.” They are catching rainbows. Deadmans is slow because of the ice conditions. I haven’t heard anything on what is fishing there. I am seeing people who have come out to fish and don’t have a warm water stamp. You still have to have one until March 1st to fish Deadmans for 2011.
***East Fork Reservoir
The East fork Reservoir has 6 to 8 inches of ice. We had a cold snap and that helped a lot. The fishermen are catching perch and some brook trout which is not the norm for this reservoir. They are using corn and night crawlers. They are fishing near the bottom in the East Fork and the main channel.
Casino Creek reservoir is fishing well. There they are catching nice perch at 1 pound on decent ice.
COMPILED BY Carol Henckel
