Grab your hip boots and your favorite lures—it’s time to talk shop. Whether you’re chasing “jumbo” perch in the shallows of East Bay or trolling the depths of Bitterroot for some silver, the local waters are waking up and looking plenty fishy this week. We’ve rounded up everything from the hottest crappie bites to where the pike are lurking, so you can spend less time guessing and more time setting the hook. Here is the lowdown from Chancy’s Weekly Fishing Report on what’s biting around the Flathead for the week of April 14, 2026:

East Bay (Flathead Lake)

Perch bite still going strong try 5 to 7′ water any small twister tails or tube baits tipped with worm have been working well. Be sure to follow the Fishing regulations on the perch down there. You can also catch some good smallmouth bass and pike in the bay.

Bitteroot lake

Doing well trolling about 50 to 60′ water. Try trolling small dodgers with micro squids behind. Try trolling large flys behind planer boards in eves for large rainbows. The lake is low for launching so bring hip boots.

Church and Fennon slough

Been Fishing very well for bass and few nice pike. Try square bill crankbaits or chatterbaits for bass. Pike through big jerkbaits or swim baits.

Echo lake

Fishing good for large and smallmouth bass.

Try chatterbaits, swimbaits or jigs. Look for pike in the bays with big swimbaits. You can chase the whitefish out in the main lake also.

Whitefish lake

Fishing excellent for lake trout jigging 50 to 70′ water with tube baits. Try pike in the bays with dead bait.

Swan lake

Fishing well still for pike on south end. Smelt under bobber working well in deep weed edges. Try for lake trout near the river mouth. Trolling flicker shad along the shore you can pike up rainbows.

Loon lake (TCL)

Fishing well for bass and few big pike. Try tube jigs or chatterbaits for bass.

McWennergar slough

Crappie and perch have been hitting well. Try small minnow plastic or tube jigs. Pike action has been good also.

Middle Thompson

Salmon bite picking up trolling mid lake and west end. 40 to 60′ has been good for fish up to 16″ Try deeper weed edges for nice perch and pike.

Rodgers lake

Been great for nice graying. Try small leech pattern in flys. Spin fishing use small spinner or small tube jigs tipped with worm.

Ashley lake

Reports of salmon starting bite mostly smaller fish but decent numbers. Check in deeper weeds for nice perch also.

Good luck fishing this week and tight lines will see you at Fish Camp!!