Scout Troop 214 sank 1,600 Christmas trees into Canyon Ferry for perch habitat. Here's what anglers need to know before ice-out this spring.

Winter finally let go at Canyon Ferry Lake: the ice is officially gone, boats are already launching, and the ramps are open for spring anglers ready to get back on open water.

Final winter fishing report for Helena-area reservoirs before updates resume in April. Ice is highly variable and can change fast, and Canyon Ferry’s south end is seeing expanding open water that’s undermining nearby ice—use extreme caution on any ice.

Anglers report Canyon Ferry is in transition: part ice, part open water, and heavily wind-dependent. Reports say it’s open from the dam to roughly Confederate Gulch, with much of the north end showing open water—but a lingering ice sheet past the Silos boat launch may be hard to spot from a distance. Use caution before launching or stepping out.

Anglers should exercise caution due to varying ice conditions. Fishing yields include rainbows at Canyon Ferry and Helena Valley, while Hauser and Holter have mostly open water and unstable ice.

Anglers are reminded that ice conditions can be extremely variable.  Ice thickness can range from thick enough to support a […]