Please be advised that warm weather has changed ice conditions making them precarious and high wind conditions mean caution should be used in partially open waters so please beware. 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
Bill says “ ice is off except for the bay.” No one has been up fishing. He says “Time to make your reservations now for the spring fishing season.”
***Bob-Bob’s Bait Shop 1–406- 429-2086
Crooked Creek Fort Peck Reservoir
“We have 6 inches of snow. We have no ice.” Bob says, “ The Missouri is open ,” he tells us, and the Musselshell has no ice. The force of the water seems to have eliminated the tree line .” Now is the time to fish for the big fish. My shop will now be closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
***Clint Thomas- Hell Creek Marina 1-406- 557-2345
Hell Creek-Fort Peck Reservoir
According to a Jordan resident fishing is slow. Still a bit of ice in some areas so putting a boat in means you will run into chunks. Lots of wind . Saw a 4 pound walleye , some perch and northern taken.
***Gene Moore Lake ridge Motel 1-406-526-3597
Fort Peck Reservoir Dam/Bear Creek/Pines/
Gene Moore, of Lake Ridge says, “ Fishing the river is good. The lake is turning on. They are catching trout on KO wobblers, cam loopers and shad raps. The marina bay has a bit of ice. Duck Creek and Flat lake are open. ” “The river is good and they are,” Gene explains,” catching walleyes, sauger, lake trout and rainbows.” They are catching walleyes on lindy rigs.
***West Side Sports –Dan 1-406-654-1611
Nelson, Forchette
Dan at West Side Sports tells us.” Nelson has some ice but for safety reasons fishermen are backing off and not going . “ Forchette Bay is not safe or good. He says it is not good to go yet There is no fishing right now.
***Deadmans and Martinsdale
Justin says,” Martinsdale is open. They are catching rainbows on worms and marshmellows. ” I have seen only a few caught. Some are using jigs and minnows.
The Musselshell has started but it is slow.
*** Silos Marina Sharon 266-3100
Canyon Ferry
“ Trout fishing from the bank is good.”, Sharon says. “Ice fishing is done, You can launch. It is open at White Earth, “ Sharon tells us.
Sharon says, “ winterize your boat. Check your spark plugs, Check your batteries so you won’t have to buy your battery on your first trip out.”
***Minnow bucket Allen Camarillo 348-2440
Allen Camarillo says,” On the Yellowstone fishermen are catching ling, catfish, small mouth, walleye and sauger. They are using jigs and minnows on sauger and some crank baits on walleye. A young girl caught a nice 4 pound brown trout under the Huntley bridge. Fishing is real good.
***Lake Elmo Billings
Lake Elmo h as open water. People are fishing from shore and the dock and catching a few fish. Lake Elmo was stocked 3,000 trout fingerlings last week.
***Cooney
They are catching rainbows from shore. Not a lot of rainbows but a few. The walleye are not active yet.
***Don’s Dave 1-800-879-8194
Lewistown East Fork Reservoir
Dave says, “The weather is really bad. Lots of high winds. We got quite a lot of snow. It is bad enough I would say stay home don’t go out.”
***Bob Peterson-
Tongue River Reservoir
Bob says, “The ice is off. There is a little ice on the south end. People haven’t been out much yet. The marina will be open this weekend.”
EASTERN MONTANA FISHING REPORT FOR THE WEEK OF 3/21/12 COMPILED BY Carol Henckel