Walleye are playing hard to get, rainbows are everywhere you look, and with kokanee snagging season handing out 35-fish limits, the Missouri River reservoirs are serving up a full fall spread.
Canyon Ferry: The north end and mid reservoir have slowed up for walleye action with the south end clearing up and fishing pretty good. Trolling bottom bouncers with silver, white or purple spinners and a worm harness in 10 to 15 feet of water around Ponds 2 and 3 and the river mouth. Some found success with fire tiger or perch-colored crankbaits as well. Rainbows are being caught on walleye gear, lures or cowbells throughout the reservoir with the south end producing the best action. An occasional rainbow or walleye have been caught from shore near the Silos, Duck Creek or Hellgate. Troy Humphrey, FWP, Helena
Hauser: Good numbers of rainbows have been cruising the shorelines near the Causeway, and some nice fish are being caught from shore with a bobber and a crawler or leech pattern flies. Boat anglers are doing well fly fishing near Spokane Creek with streamers or leech flies. Walleye action has been good recently inside the Causeway Arm, near Dana Point, and across from Black Sandy. Most walleye anglers are doing best while using perch-colored jigs tipped crawlers or slip bobbers and leeches. Chris Hurley, FWP, Helena
Holter: Rainbow action continues to be great throughout most of the reservoir. Trolling dodgers or cowbells with a wooly bugger or a crawler has been working well, some anglers are catching good numbers of trout while trolling silver Rapalas or various spoon and spinners. Some of the best places to look for big fat rainbows have been near Black Beach, Split Rock, the Oxbow Bend, and just above Holter Dam. Fly fishing between the Gates of the Mountains and Hauser Dam with leech patterns has been popular for trout. Some really nice perch have been showing up recently while jigging with crawlers or using slip bobbers and leeches along the weed beds in the Canyon, near the Sleeping Giant, and Cottonwood Creek. Most perch are being found in 25 to 40 feet of water. Kokanee fishing near the dam has slowed down. A few walleye are being picked up along the Clay Banks while using jigging Rapalas. Chris Hurley, FWP, Helena
Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir: Snagging has been going well, and anglers are seeing larger fish this year. The snagging season for Kokanee Salmon opened on September 1st and will run through October 31st. Limits are 35 salmon daily with 70 in possession. Chris Hurley, FWP, Helena
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