Deep-diving kokanee, lurking walleye, and opportunistic pike are making Holter and the Regulating Reservoirs a high-stakes guessing game this week. Whether you’re dropping a line 60 feet into the abyss or chasing early-morning salmon in the shallows, here is your playbook from Jonathan Miller with Capital Sports in Helena for August 6, 2026 that tells you where they’re schooling, what they’re hitting, and how to stay ahead of the bite.
Holter:
Speaking of kokanee, I have been slowly getting more reports of guys catching in Holter. It’s been days of extremes it seems as of late. Either the fish are biting well or not at all. But I have heard they are going deep. Guys are still catching at 40’ but starting to mark many of the fish at 60’+ of water. I am also hearing the schools are starting to form. Which is inline for the timeline. If you wanted to switch up and mark a school, vertical jigging with spoons can be a lot of fun. Silver, pink, blue/pink are usually my best colors. For trolling, squids are still the preferred bait with some scented corn. Chartreuse, white and orange seem to be the best selling colors for us right now so I am betting those must be the colors they are hitting on right now.
Weed beds from cottonwood through the clay banks are still holding walleye and some nice quality fish at that too. Mainly throwing drop shots, jigs and slip bobbers. If you are using plastics, perch pattern reign supreme but goby or electric shad has a chance to catch as well. The most popular choice this year though on Holter is an 1/8oz jig head with a pinched crawler. I am also getting good reports with guys using jerk baits as well. Perch, gold and metallic colors are best. But like Hauser I would use a pike proof leader. There have been tons of pike being caught as well on the walleye baits. If you wanted to target pike more I have seen some posts online and heard murmurs of the Gates producing the occasional gator.
As a side note, it’s usually about now when the fly fishermen start fishing Land of the Giants for big browns. I haven’t had much for reports but based on previous years, about now is when it’s worth checking in on that area with streamers.
Regulating Reservoir:
Kokanee fishing has been pretty good lately. It seems that the bite really is confined to early morning or evenings. What is curious is I am getting a lot of reports of fishing being marked and caught in as shallow as 15’ of water. But I am also talking with guys that have caught fish down in 30’ so the fish are keeping us on our toes I suppose. If you want to give it a go, I recommend a chartreuse, pink or orange wedding ring with corn. If trolling isn’t your speed then jigging a pink or silver Swedish pimple or kastmaster are both goods lures to use.
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