Canyon Ferry Walleye Festival

Helena Area Reservoirs Fishing Report 3.14.22
By angelamontana

Posted: March 14, 2022

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: Rainbows are being caught around Hole in the Wall to the Silos in 10 to 20 feet of water while using green or orange jigs and worms or spoons.  Perch and an occasional walleye are being caught north of the Silos to Hole in the Wall on bright colored Hali jigs with a waxworm or lures.  A few burbot are being caught out from the Silos in deeper water on tip-ups and cut bait.  Ice conditions have been reported as a consistent 16 to 20 inches from Hole in the Wall to the Silos and around the Ponds.  Duck Creek has 20 inches of ice. Use caution with ATVs around the Hole in the Wall and Duck Creek pressure ridges.  Troy Humphrey, FWP, Helena

Hauser: Open water fishing near York Bridge and the Causeway has been productive for rainbows while using dark colored Mepps spinners and various flies. Black Sandy area is producing a few rainbows through the ice with small white or pink jigs and maggots while dead sticking 10 feet below the ice. A few perch have been caught through the ice out on Lake Helena with green jigs and maggots. Black Sandy area has around 10 inches of ice.  Chris Hurley, FWP, Helena

Holter: The lower end of the reservoir still has decent ice and smaller perch are still being caught in 12 to 40 feet of water out from the Prairie Dog Town, the BLM boat ramp and Departure Point. Black, orange and green Swedish pimples and Hali jigs and maggots have been working well for perch. Most rainbows are showing up around 10 feet below the ice while dead sticking small silver and pink jigs and crawlers.  Up to 10 inches of ice has been on the lower end of the reservoir.   Chris Hurley, FWP, Helena

Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir: Kokanee action continues to be awesome while jigging near the bottom in 20 to 40 feet of water. Using green, white or silver Hali or Swedish Pimple type ice jigs with red maggots or corn is working well. An occasional perch is being picked up with the same equipment. 12 inches of ice has been reported.  Chris Hurley, FWP, Helena

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