Fall Flathead Area Report: The Run Is Building

Autumn in the Flathead arrives as a change in the light and a change in the water — and the fish feel it first. Whitefish are sliding toward the gravel, lake trout are moving onto the rock, and pike are feeding hard in the sloughs before the shallows lock up. Nothing is at its peak this week; that’s the invitation. The run builds toward mid-November, the spawn is just igniting, and the next six weeks offer good water somewhere from the old steel bridge to Noxon. Check your regulations, dress for weather, and stop by Chancy’s Fish Camp to enter the whitefish contest — $10 adults, kids 12 and under free.

Here’s the October 16, 2026 fishing report from Chancy’s Fish Camp:

Flathead River

Whitefish numbers showing up good! Try from old steel bridge area up to CFalls bridge. If you can float all the river between the two places is excellent. The bite will get better as the season gets later usually mid November peek of the run but you can catch them all through December.

Trout fishing can also be good with small spinners and spoons for rainbows and cutts. Be sure to check your regulations!!!!

Flathead lake

Still some whitefish bitting off the delta but definitely slowed up now! Look for them later in November in Woods bay and around West Shore area.

Lake trout starting fire up going into spawn mode. Try trolling or casting big spoons along the rocky shorelines. Woods Bay, WestShore, Finley Point, Cedar, Shelter and Wild Horse Island areas 15 to 30′ water from Halloween to Thanksgiving. Try large spoons Kamloop, KastMaster and Krocidile spoons work well.

Echo Lake

Still good bass action for nice large and smallmouth. Try jigs, chatterbaits and jerkbaits. Few big pike in bays and nice crappie suspended out deeper. Look for lake Whitefish in the main lake.

Koocanusa Reservoir

Rainbow bite picking up! Try trolling PlugIt Handcrafted Tackle plugs of planer boards and big flys. Darker colors in fall can work good.

Middle Thompson

Salmon bite slowing up but some nice perch deep water and few big pike.

Hungry Horse Reservoir

Cutthroat bite has been good this fall with some nicer fish being caught. Try small gold or copper spoons trolling little faster. Berkley flicker shads can also be good.

Rodgers lake

Grayling bite picking up and few nice cutts

Try small leech or nymphs for flys or small roostertails and spoons for spinning gear.

Smith lake

Good pike action wirh spiinnerbaitsand weedless spoons.

Flathead River sloughs

Pike action good try dead bait or big swim baits in Fennon, Halfmoon, and Church sloughs. Bass and crappie still been hitting also.

Bitteroot lake

Water still low, launching boats can be tuff but the rainbow bite is picking up. Try same as Koocanusa large flys and plugs. The bite is usually better in late afternoon to dark. Few nice smallmouth biting also.

Noxon Reservoir

Pike action and has been good for nice fish up to 20lbs. Walleye bite still good near lower end of Reservoir. Try 20 to 30′ for them and bass.

Vann lake

Good raimbow action trolling small flatfish or spoons. Try bait fishing power bait or worm and mellow.

Lake Mary Ronan

Perch action been still slow but try out in front boat launch 20′ water or Camp Tuffit area little deeper 30 to 35′. Salmon are stacked up near boat launch try casting small sppon at them. Swedish pimples or KastMaster work well.

Dont forget come on down to Fish Camp sign up for our whitefish contest. $10 for adults kids 12 under free!

Good luck hunting and fishing this weekend Montana!!

Stop by Chancy’s Fish Camp at 2211 US Hwy 2 E, Evergreen, MT, or call 406.300.1695. You can also email mtfish2021@outlook.com.