The fish are officially “swiping right” at Fort Peck, and the Big Dry Arm is currently the place to be. Biologist Heath Headley is back with his second update of the 2026 season, and it seems the walleye are finally getting the memo that it’s go-time. With the sun doing its job and the water hitting that sweet spot, the team has been busy playing matchmaker to the tune of 18 million eggs. Of course, it wouldn’t be Montana without a weather-induced plot twist lurking on the horizon.
Here is the second Fort Peck Walleye Spawn Update that was posted today:
2026 Fort Peck Walleye Spawn Update II, April 16
By biologist Heath Headley
The weather has been very cooperative for us in the Big Dry Arm area of Fort Peck Reservoir. Water temperatures have steadily increased to 50-55 degrees in some of the shallow areas where the trap nets are located. This has been very promising for walleye spawning activity.
Numbers of walleye captured per net have increased as well with the warming water temperatures. We’re continuing to see good numbers of male walleye along with more green and ripe female walleye. Thanks to the increased numbers of ripe female walleye collected from the trap nets, we’ve been able to hold three egg-takes since the last update.
On Monday we collected 6 million, Tuesday we collected 6.6 million, and Wednesday we collected another 6 million more eggs. These three egg-takes brought our total to approximately 18.6 million eggs so far. This is a good start to the 2026 season. However, it looks like a cold front is headed our way starting Thursday. The forecast calls for gusty winds, rain (maybe snow?), and nighttime temperatures dropping into the low 20’s. There’s a good chance this could throw a wrench into our collection efforts for a few days.
Feature image: “The Mulder family doing some walleye wrangling. Thanks for all your help!” FWP photo.