With a potential smallmouth bass state record just caught in Fort Peck Reservoir (click HERE for that story), it is being noticed that smallmouth bass are being caught by some anglers at Canyon Ferry. Adam Strainer, a Fisheries Technician with Montana FWP, has some information on the subject and sent us the following information:
A few adult smallmouth bass are reportedly caught each year at Canyon Ferry Reservoir and are generally caught somewhere on the North End (near the dam) of the reservoir. Our summer creel clerks typically weigh and measure less than two annually in the same area. So, although we don’t see large numbers of the species, they are more common than one might think. This August we sampled a large male (approximately 15-inches) in our mid month gillnetting series and, just this past week, we sampled some juveniles (approximately 9-inches) and young of the year (approximately 2-inches). All of the aforementioned fish were sampled between Magpie Bay and Hellgate Bay along the west shore. So, there is some successful spawning occurring annually and apparently enough habitat to recruit some fish to adulthood. I’ve attached photo’s of the fish I described above. The pencil in the latter two photo’s is 6-inches.
A few adult smallmouth bass are reportedly caught each year at Canyon Ferry Reservoir and are generally caught somewhere on the North End (near the dam) of the reservoir. Our summer creel clerks typically weigh and measure less than two annually in the same area. So, although we don’t see large numbers of the species, they are more common than one might think.
This August we sampled a large male (approximately 15-inches) in our mid month gillnetting series and, just this past week, we sampled some juveniles (approximately 9-inches) and young of the year (approximately 2-inches). All of the aforementioned fish were sampled between Magpie Bay and Hellgate Bay along the west shore. So, there is some successful spawning occurring annually and apparently enough habitat to recruit some fish to adulthood.
I’ve attached photo’s of the fish I described above. The pencil in the latter two photo’s is 6-inches.
(Report and photos by Adam Strainer – Montana FWP)
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