Statewide Montana Fishing Report Compilation 3.9.22

Statewide Montana Fishing Report Compilation 3.9.22
By angelamontana

Posted: March 9, 2022

Please let us know if you would like to see your weekly fishing report included in this compilation by emailing your report to us before the end of the day on Tuesday of each week here along with your business website/email address.

Also, please check fishing regulations before fishing.

2021-2022 General Fishing Seasons
	Rivers & Streams	Lakes & Reservoirs
Western District	Open third Saturday in May through November 30, unless otherwise specified in Exceptions to Standard Regulations.	Open all year
Central District	Open all year, unless otherwise specified in Exceptions to Standard Regulations.	Open all year
Eastern District	Open all year	Open all year

Canyon Ferry/Ice Report by Montana Ice Report (March 9, 2022)

“About 18 inches of ice at north bootlegger, yesterday. Fishing is good.” – Robman Paul

Tongue River Reservoir Fishing/Ice Report by Tongue River Reservoir State Park (March 8, 2022)

Thanks to everyone who supported us during ice fishing! The ice conditions were still pretty sketchy last weekend as far as access goes and I don’t think it will improve much for this weekend. With that being said, We will be closed until April 1st. We look forward to seeing everyone as soon as the ice is off. We will continue to have minnows throughout the spring and Summer.
See y’all soon!

Tongue River Marina will be closed until April 1st.

Canyon Ferry Fishing/Ice Report via Montana Ice Report (March 8, 2022)

“Left Sunday had at least 12 to 15 inches. [Shores were] good at Duck Creek. We had a RZR on the ice.” – James D.

Cooney/Ice Report via Montana Ice Fishing (March 8, 2022)

“Saw a guy pulled some nice perch out this last weekend… just don’t want to take my kids out on it if it’s patchy.” – Jaena D.

Georgetown Lake Fishing/Ice Report by Montana Ice Report (March 5, 2022)

“Georgetown – first inch is rotten, then 17+ inches solid. Shore was fine getting on.” – Justin M.

Petrolia Fishing/Ice Report by Montana Ice Fishing (March 9, 2022)

“Well, I went and there is 8-9″ top 3″ is soft. Fished well.” – Dan K.

Daily Lake Fishing Report by Fort Peck Marina (March 8, 2022)

“There was like 3 days in the 60’s down there before the snow. I was hiking down there this past Sunday south of daily and the snow was melted up to 6500 feet! I would think it would be iffy but this cold might have it locked up again. If you join iceshanty.com I usually get my ice reports from there! Good luck!” – Joshua M.

“The ice is gone. Went on Sunday. Better off taking a boat. We fished what was left of it. Didn’t stay long.” – Tyler D.

Gates of the Mountains Fishing/Ice Report by Montana Ice Fishing (March 8, 2022)

“Was there a week ago. Only about 6” and lots of water on top. there was several extremely warm days with wind. I can’t say if it’s good or bad but just be very careful if you go. With the open water out further the heat and wind could have really caused damage to the ice.” – Denim H.

Beaver Creek Ice Report by Montana Ice Fishing (March 7, 2022)

“Beaver Creek was still plenty good. 7-8 clear, 2 cloudy, maybe an inch of snow on top.″ – Garrett G.

Fort Peck Fishing and Ice Report by Hell Creek Marina (March 9, 2022)

Ice fishing is still going strong. 4-wheelers are still being used. You have to watch the shoreline for where to get on, but there is 12 to 15 inches of ice on the bay. Great northern bite between 6 and 12 feet.

Sutherlin Fishing/Ice Report by Montana Ice Fishing (March 5, 2022)

“Sutherlin had a little open water along shore yesterday but still 16 + inches thick” – Tanner M.

Flathead Area Fishing Report by Snappy’s Sport Senter (February 25, 2022)

–No new report–

SLake Mary Ronan – Good Perch fishing 24-30 Foot of water. Kenders Tungsten paired with a Euro Tackle soft plastic has been putting the perch on the ice.

Echo Lake – Whitefish have been very consistent. 3mm Tungsten paired with a Sago Tackle Co. Micro plastic has been highly effective in the 18-24 foot of water range. Lots of perch and the occasional bass have been caught as well.

McGregor Lake – Tournament time! Good reports on ice for most of the lake. Open on the Kalispell side, but good fishing for Mack’s and Rainbows. Zimmer Rattle D’Zastor has been really producing this week.

Lion Lake – Perch fishing has been consistent. Use a small green jig tipped with maggot or worm.

Lake 5 – Great salmon fishing lately. Swedish Pimple with a Ratfinkee 3-4 inches below it tipped with red maggots has been the key to success.

Loon Lake (Ferndale) – Hellbender Tungsten flies have been absolutely phenomenal this last week. Fish mid column and always tip your jigs with maggots or wax worms.

Blanchard Lake – Crappie fishing has been productive. Gold tungsten jigs with a Wonderbait plastic.

Yellowstone River and Livingston Area Fly Fishing Report by Dan Bailey’s (March 3, 2022)

February came and went fast! Hopefully the weather we received during the month isn’t the last of winter, but March is certainly starting in a warm way. 55 and cloudy (as it is today) sure seems like spring is not that far away. This is midge weather!

Even with the warmer weather, the Yellowstone River through the valley remains locked up in ice. You can find some odds and ends places where it’s clear, but please be really careful. Water temps are low and fish are lethargic. Not to mention the wind. Want to practice for an upcoming saltwater trip and casting off the breezy bow of a flats skiff? Come fish the Yellowstone this time of year.

If you don’t feel like a drive, the spring creeks are still a good option. They’re on winter rates, and if the wind gets to you or the fish aren’t cooperating head for the warming huts and enjoy the view. If you want to find fish on top, this is where you’ll want to go.

Otherwise, jump in the car and head west. The Upper and Lower Madison are both good options, the Gallatin is fishing decently in the canyon, and the Missouri is worth the drive. With things as warm as they are there are a lot of options around the state for late winter/early spring fishing. Spring is coming!

This time of year if you’re after dry fly action, midges are the name of the game. If the wind is calm, look for bugs on the water midday. Find the back eddies and slack water and just watch for heads. Swinging emergers is a good strategy, and be sure to have a bunch of midge nymphs. If you’re on technical water like the spring creeks go small…

Water temps are still down quite a bit, meaning the fish are lethargic ad slow. Find the deep, slow water and concentrate on that. Fish this time of year are trying to conserve as much energy as possible, so they’re down deep in the slow stuff. We’re about to that time of year when they’ll get more active, but not yet.

Late winter and early spring can be volatile conditions on the water, so be sure you’re warm and comfortable out there! We’ve got a great selection of baselayers, fishing apparel and outerwear. We’re also getting more waders and boots in these days. Stop by the shop for the gear you need and the customer service you appreciate, or give us a call at 406.222.1673 for the latest info. See you on the water!

Chancy and Dave’s Fish Camp Fishing Report (March 4, 2022)

Dickey Lake- 12-14” ice excellent salmon bite near boat launch area or mid lake. Hali jig & Swedish pimples doing well. Nice fish 10-14” range.

Bitterroot Lake- Good Salmon action still going well. Try 100-150’ water with fish coming through at 30-50’ of water. For nice rainbow try shallow, north end.

Lake Mary Ronan- Good perch fishing, deeper water 30-35’, also some nice salmon mid lake.

Rodgers Lake- Nice cutts early morning. Try Wise Flies Woolley Bugger jigs.

Lake 5- lots small salmon

Echo Lake- Try mid lake 30-40’ for white fish & small mouth bass. Try deeper for salmon.

Loon (Ferndale)- Catching nice rainbows early morning, also few big perch.

Island Lake- Lots of perch, smaller size with some keepers.

Flathead Lake- Fishing great for big lake trout. Try jigging delta 60-80’ or shallow on delta 15-30’ with big dead bait. Also try jigging painted rocks 150-180’.

WATCH FOR SPRINGS AND SOFT EDGES OF LAKES ON VALLEY FLOOR

HOTLINE 844-774-3474 (FISH)

Kootenai River Fishing Report by Linehan Outfitting (March 7, 2022)

his Kootenai River Montana fishing report is being brought to you by Orvis Endorsed Linehan Outfitting. This report will be updated weekly to provide current conditions, weather, hatches, patterns, and flows to our local waters and across the state.

Flows from Libby Dam: 4000cfs

water temperature at Libby Dam: 42 degrees

hatches: midge, baetis

patterns: zebra midge, parachute Adams, parachute pmd, Rosenbauer’s olive rabbit foot emerger, purple haze, purple chubby, red chubby, olive sparkle dun,bh prince, soft SJ worm, bh pheasant tail, bh rubber legged stonefly, big streamers in white, pink and olive, circus peanut, black conehead buggers

It’s not quite spring up here in Kootenai River country but we have good news. Flows from Libby Dam have been reduced and will be stable at 4000cfs through the end of March for now. That means there’s some great early season fishing available right now.

At the moment the river is clear and in good shape. Don’t expect much in the way of dry fly fishing until we get some substantially warmer daytime temperatures. The water is still cold but trout will start to feed a bit in the coming weeks.

This is always a good time of year for nymphing. With low flows you don’t need a heavy rig. You just need to get the flies down in softer runs and pools where trout are most likely to be holding this time of year. Don’t spend a ton of time fishing fast riffles.

Streamer fishing is also productive this time of year especially since bigger fish will be hungry after laying low for a couple months during the dead of winter. Keep in mind they will not necessarily want to move too fast or too far to get a meal. Get your streamers down and fish them slowly and erratically. Nothing like a wounded minnow to get a big rainbow interested in at least a sniff.

In Boston Red Sox news, oh that’s right! There’s currently a lockout. Arghhh!!! Billionaire owners looking for more billions. At this point I’m actually angry. As I write spring training has yet to start and opening day has definitely been postponed. Let’s hope there’s an agreement between all parties very soon so we can enjoy the boys of summer.

Give a call anytime if you need more Kootenai River details or information on any of our hunting or fishing adventures. And please check out our e-commerce site for all Linehan Outfitting branded swag and Orvis gear. https://linehan-outfitting.myshopify.com/

We look forward to hearing from you. 406-295-4872

Streamers and nymphing are best bets under high water conditions.

Castle Rock Fishing/Ice Report in Colstrip by Castle Rock Live Bait Shop (March 8, 2022)

May be the last call for ice fishing Castle Rock this week. But strange things seem to happen with the weather. Thanks for all the support this winter. We will have our fishing boat up for rent soon. And we will try to be at the dock more this spring early Saturday mornings.

Gallatin River Fishing Report via Fins and Feathers (March 6, 2022)

Scores a 3/5

The Gallatin has been fishing pretty well the last few days. Nymphing is usually the best option in the winter but you can occasionally find a fish or two that will eat a bugger or a small streamer. The best flies include, Pat’s Rubberlegs, San Juan Worms, Zebra midges and Olive Mangy Caddis. The canyon stretch has been the best area to stay out of the wind around Bozeman recently. The weather gets pretty darn cold this week around the state, maybe a better week for tying if you don’t want to brave the cold.

Gallatin River Webcam – Located at Karst, which is about 1/2 way between Bozeman and Big Sky on HWY 191.

Helena Area Reservoirs Fishing Report via FWP (March 7, 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 Confederate and from Hole in the Wall to south of the Silos while using pink or orange jigs and worms. Perch and an occasional walleye are being caught north of the Silos to Hole in the Wall and around Duck Creek on bright colored jigs (white, chartreuse or pink) or lures with maggots or worms. 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: A few rainbows are being picked up in open water near the Causeway with floating jigs tipped with crawlers or green Marabou jigs. 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. Perch and walleye fishing has slowed down. More open water areas are beginning to show up in Lake Helena. Black Sandy area has around 12 inches of ice. Chris Hurley, FWP, Helena

Holter: The Gates of the Mountains area is mostly open water. The lower end of the reservoir still has decent ice and smaller perch are still being caught in 35 to 45 feet of water out from the Prairie Dog Town, the BLM boat ramp and Departure Point. Swedish pimples and Hali jigs and maggots have been standard for perch. Most rainbows are showing up around 10 feet below the ice while dead sticking small shiny jigs and crawlers. An occasional walleye is showing up while fishing for perch. Anglers near Log Gulch are gaining access to safe ice with a plank that spans the shoreline. 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 great while jigging near the bottom in 30 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

Bighorn River Fishing Report by Fins and Feathers (March 6, 2022)

The Bighorn will be just as cold as the rest of the state this week. Still a better fishing option than our Bozeman area waters. Nymphing with sowbugs/scuds and midges have been the most effective. The dry fly action has potential but just needs some relatively calm conditions for fish to start looking up. Streamer fishing has been effective dredging the bottom of big deep holes with darker flies and a sink tip.

Yellowstone Park Waters Fishing Report by Montana Troutfitters (March 9, 2022)

The park is closed for the season! Check back next May. See you next season!