Fishing report: Among the summer crowds, there are still great people in Montana | State & Regional

On June 19 I dropped my phone into the Big Hole River as I attempted to take a picture of a beautiful rainbow trout I netted – while also trying to hold my net and rod.

The odds were against me, as I quickly learned that trying to hold three things in two hands while standing in a moving body of water — and also crouching down so that the netted fish stayed wet — probably wasn’t ideal.

But this week, luck was momentarily back on my side. A few days after reactivating an old phone I kept in a drawer at home, I received a text message.

“Hello, I think I found your iPhone on the river today.”

Long story short, I am once again in possession of the phone I had presumed lost forever thanks to the efforts of a thoughtful angler who went above and beyond without asking for anything in return.

I will say that if they were to stop and fish the area where my phone was found, in a way I gave them one of my go-to spots. Dare I say we’re even?

After emailing myself the picture which set all of this in motion, the newly retrieved iPhone’s screen turned neon purple and it eventually powered down while making a faint crackling sound.

Even though I am back to using my six-year-old phone, my faith in humanity is restored – at least for now.

Bighorn Lake, Ok-A-Beh — The smallmouth bass bite is still going full speed. These fish have been eating almost anything you put in front of their face. Top-water lures like poppers and tube baits have been especially popular selections. Pitching jigs and plastics works great as well. The walleye bite has slowed down a little, but you can pick a few of those along with some trout by trolling deep-diving crankbaits. — Scheels, Billings.

Flathead Lake (South) — The water temperature is up to about 59 degrees and anglers can catch perch, suckers, lake trout and even some early season whitefish (not to be confused with mountain whitefish). Dick Zimmer of Zimmer Bait and Tackle said that after a stellar day on whitefish earlier this week, he is going out again Thursday to see if the recent bite was a fluke or a sign of an epic season to come. Folks looking to get out on the water will be advised to try their luck in places like Elmo Bay. Areas that are protected from the impressive amount of runoff still flowing into the lake have been producing more fish. — Zimmer Bait and Tackle, Pablo.

Missouri River, below Holter — Steady as she goes, the ’Mo continues to be solid. The only change from the last report is the water is flowing at 4,000 CFS, so wading is not an issue what so ever. Caddis and PMDs are hatching in the late afternoon. The 3-4 p.m. window has been ideal for dry flies. Perdigon style nymphs have been the ticket. Anything that gets down low and imitates a PMD or caddis nymph should get a bite. — Montana Fly Goods, Helena.

Rock Creek (West) — This stretch is fishing really well. Salmonflies were on the top end of the creek last week and will be flying around a little bit longer. Make sure to have salmonfly dries with you like rogue stones, Morrish’s fluttering salmonfly, Henry’s Fork salmonflies, Supa Gees, chubbies and sofa pillows. Down lower, golden stones, green drakes and a few yellow sallies were also spotted last week. Henry’s Fork golden, rogue goldens, golden chubbies, extended body green drakes, western green drakes, Galloup’s butch sally, Larimer’s sally and Carlson’s working girl sally are must-haves. For subsurface action, tie on a big stonefly nymph, San Juan worm, jig pheasant tail, jig prince or a Perdigon if these trout aren’t eating the dry. Be wary of flows and water levels if you’re floating or wading. Don’t wade too deep and if you’re not experienced on the oars don’t float Rock Creek. — Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula.

Ackley Lake — Ackley continues to produce musky with smelt being the bait of choice. The trout fishing has also been good using egg sacks or night crawlers. — Sport Center, Lewistown.

Beaverhead River — Fishing has been good and gaining momentum as the PMD hatch is right around the corner. This is one of the most anticipated hatches of the season. Yellow sallies and caddis will also be in the mix. Nymphing with a heavy drop shot continues to be the most productive rig. The usual mix of nymphs are working, which are: split cases, olive psycho mays, and olive and black Perdigons. Sow bugs and worms at times will also produce fish. — Frontier Anglers, Dillon.

Big Hole River — Salmonflies have been out on the big hole for quite a while now and they are on the way out. They can still be found on the upper river with golden stones throughout all stretches. yellow Sallys, green drakes, caddis and pale morning duns have all been hatching. The dry fly eat has been slower during the day so throw on a black Pat’s rubberlegs, prince nymph or yellow Sally nymph until the dry hatches heat up. Streamers can still be used with sculpzillas and sparkle minnows being a couple favorites. — The StoneFly Fly Shop, Butte.

Bighorn River — As of last week, this trout were hungry and the catching was good. Worms, big sowbugs (sizes 12-14), orange scuds, zebra midges and a few baetis nymphs were getting bites. Fish were also reportedly starting to move toward the shallower insides, so double check where you step before you wade. — Bighorn Angler, Fort Smith. 

Bitterroot River — The catching is good. Water levels are fluctuating with warm daily temperatures and snow melt, but still very fishable. There isn’t much for dry fly action – just yet – but the nymphing gets better every day in the mid-river. The upper river above Hamilton is seeing some salmonflies and golden stones, so make sure to have a bunch if you’re making the drive. For the rest of the river, stick with rubberlegs, double-beaded stones, jig PTs, jig princes and San Juans. Streamer fishing is a good option with smaller Zonkers, sparkle minnows, flash minnows and baby Gongas. — Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula.

Blackfoot River — Water is dropping and slowly clearing up. There were lots of salmonflies in the middle river last week and should be moving or have moved up to the upper river by now. Anglers are getting a few dry-fly eats a day with most fish eating nymphs right now, but surface action should keep getting better. A big salmonfly dry like a root beer chubby, royal chubby, cat puke, Henry’s Fork, Supa Gee or Morrish’s fluttering stone with a black rubberlegs, Zonker, Zirdle, bitch creek or Squirdle underneath it is the way to go. Fish tight to the willows and the inside bends where the water slows down. Nymphing a slop rig with a sparkle minnow, Zirdle or Zonker with a San Juan off the back is another good way to get them in this colored-up water.— Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula.

Boulder River — This stretch of water is still in runoff condition, but has had intermittent clearing so fishing big stonefly nymphs and annelids on slow corners can be productive during the high water. — Sweetcast Angler, Big Timber.

Canyon Ferry Reservoir — Rainbows are being caught on various colored Rapalas around Confederate, Goose Bay and Cemetery Island. A few rainbows are being caught from shore on worms. Walleye are being caught throughout the reservoir with the best action being around the Silos, and between Confederate and Duck Creek. Most walleye anglers are trolling bottom bouncers or slow-death rigs with a worm or a variety of crankbaits. A few perch are being picked up on the south end as well. The reservoir continues to fill with a lot of water coming in from the Missouri River, so watch for floating debris.— FWP, Helena.

Clark Canyon Reservoir — The fishing is fair. Bites are subsurface almost without exception. Balanced leeches and chronomids continue to fish the best. Occasionally, anglers have been able to fool a carp with streamers or crayfish. As water temps warm, fly fishing is expected to improve as trout hang around the inlets.  — Frontier Anglers, Dillon.

Clark Fork River, Missoula —  This water still looks like chocolate milk and should be avoided.  — Frontier Anglers, Dillon.

Clark Fork River, Upper (Warm Springs) — Catching has been OK using your favorite scuds, midges and Spanish bullets. It is not impossible to catch fish on top. Caddis, yellow Sallys, golden stones and chubbies are good dry flies to toss around to get the attention of hungry trout.

Echo Lake (Bigfork) — This body of water is unaffected by runoff, so the fish have remained happy and willing to bite. As a result, word has gotten out and weekends have become quite crowded. Anglers will have a shot at an array of species, such as large and smallmouth bass, crappie, perch, kokanee, rainbows, brookies and pike pushing 20 pounds. Kokanee are being caught in deeper water with jigging and trolling being the go-to methods. Maggots will consistently attract hungry kokanee, especially when using a multi-hook rig capable of presenting bait or a lure in two or more different water columns. Crappie tubes and night crawlers are working well for crappie. If you’re looking for a trophy, the pike will chase flutter spoons, a smelt under a bobber or a smelt laying on the bottom.— Zimmer Bait and Tackle, Pablo.

Deadman’s Basin — There haven’t been much by way of reports other than the water is still low. However, people have been buying bait. If operating under the assumption that said bait is being used to attract fish, we’ll assume that people are fishing. Check back in the coming weeks. — Cozy Corner Bar, Lavina.

Flathead Lake (North) — The later-than-usual runoff has extended the window to pull fish out of the mudline where the Swan and Flathead rivers flow into the lake. But the catching is much better on the southern end of Flathead Lake. — Zimmer Bait and Tackle, Pablo.

Flathead River, above the lake — Rivers in the area are still experiencing intense runoff and should be avoided. — Zimmer Bait and Tackle, Pablo.

Flathead River, below Kerr Dam  — See above. — Zimmer Bait and Tackle, Pablo.

Fort Peck Reservoir, between Snow Creek and Crooked Creek — Anglers are consistently picking up walleye and bass in this stretch of water. Pitching jigs has been the go-to strategy. — Hell Creek Marina.

Fort Peck Reservoir, dam area — In terms of fish to put on the dinner table, it’ll be tough to find a better spot as both the walleye and salmon are biting. Walleye are hitting bottom bouncers and deep-diving crankbaits. Salmon will usually require trolling with downriggers in about 35 feet of water.—Lakeridge Lodging & Bait Shop.

Fort Peck Reservoir, Fourchette Bay — The walleye bite is good, but most of the fish are on the small side. Pulling crawler harnesses and jigging off points in about 20 feet of water are the two popular methods for getting a bite. The pike fishing has been slow, but the smallmouth bite is picking up. Those bass are eating crankbaits and jigs along rocky points. — Hardware Hank, Malta.

Gallatin River — There are better options in the areas the river is still high and muddy, but things should come into shape relatively soon. If you do end up on the Gallatin, nymphing and streamers will be the best options. For nymphing, black rubberlegs, worms, small flashy Perdigons, and caddis will be the best. The best streamers would be Sculpzillas or a mini sex dungeon in black, olive or yellow. —  Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Georgetown Lake — Damsel flies are out and it will not take long for the fish to key in on them. You can start to fish damsel dies in the morning through most of the afternoon. Damsel nymphs, leeches and Carey specials are great subsurface flies. — The StoneFly Fly Shop, Butte.

Glacier National Park — Middle Two Medicine, Lake McDonald, Avalanche Lake and the Bowman Lake area are fishable. The hike-in lakes off Going-To-The-Sun-Road are not accessible due to snowpack. Middle Two Medicine and Bowman Creek are fishing very well for cutthroat, bull trout and lake trout. The first flies tied onto your leader should be black flying ants ranging in sizes 8-10. Other dependable flies during this time of year are usually egg-sucking leaches, renegades, prince nymphs, parachute Adams and grey wolfs. Add a zebra midge to your shopping list as well if you head to Middle Two Medicine. Spin fisherman can put those flies behind a casting bobber. They can also cast a spoon. Three-quarter ounce to an ounce will be needed to cast out far enough and fish the appropriate 10-12-foot depth. Visitors should make sure they’ve acquired all necessary permits before attempting to enter the park. GTTSR and the Bowman area will require passes during certain times. — Arends Fly Shop, Columbia Falls.

Hauser Reservoir — Trolling cowbells and wedding ring combos between York Bridge and Black Sandy has been producing some nice rainbows, and shore anglers are catching a few below Canyon Ferry Dam near Riverside Campground while using crawlers and a marshmallow. A few walleye and an occasional perch are being caught in the Causeway Arm while pitching various colored jigs and leeches. Carp shooting with archery equipment has become popular with lots of fish in the warmer bays. — FWP, Helena.

Holter Reservoir — Good numbers of rainbows are being picked up between Black Beach and Split Rock while pulling various colored Rapalas or cowbell setups. Walleye are being picked up in the small bays inside the canyon near the Gates of the Mountains and along the Clay Banks on the lower end on the reservoir while vertically jigging with worms or leeches. A few perch are being caught around the public boat docks and shallow weed beds while pitching smaller jigs tipped with crawlers. — FWP, Helena.

Lake Koocanusa — The fishing for trout is good but will slow down with the warmer weather. Salmon are biting in about 20-30 feet of water while trolling between 0.8 and 1 mph. The lake is still rising about 2 feet a day. — Koocanusa Resort and Marina, Libby.

Lake Mary Ronan — The kokanee bite has lasted longer than it normally does and it’s still going on. As summer progresses, the bite will be mostly at night. The pike fishing has also picked up recently. The perch have also been on the chew again. — Zimmer Bait and Tackle, Pablo.

Madison River, Lower — The lower is starting to come into shape. It is still high and running right under 2,600 CFS out of the dam, but it is going to be one of the better local options at the moment. The fish are probably moving around more and may be looking up for caddis and yellow sallies. For nymphing try a crayfish or worms tied to something flashy underneath such as a $3 dip, Perdigon or a nymphicator. The streamer bite has been OK, with flashy patterns such as a kreelex or sparkle minnow attracting some chases. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Madison River, Upper — The upper has now dropped significantly to 870 CFS and with this steep decline we should see the water become fishable. Up toward the dam on Hebgen is fishing well, but be prepared for crowds. Also be ready to throw large, dark colored streamers such as a black or olive sex dungeons, mini envies or something of the like for the big fish. For nymphing go with rubberlegs, worms, flashy Perdigons or PMD nymphs. For dries, right now it’s mostly PMDs, but get ready for the big bugs as they are expected to come out in the next week or so. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Nelson Reservoir —The water is on its way up and people are catching fish. A vast majority have been walleye while pulling crawler harnesses on bottom bouncers. The occasional northern will make an appearance, but those who are targeting pike would be better suited trolling crankbaits. — Hardware Hank, Malta.

Noxon Rapids Reservoir — The fishing continues to be excellent. Pro to novice anglers have had success catching both large and smallmouth bass. Largemouth are currently spawning while the smallmouth are preparing to enter their post-spawn stage. The largemouth have been hitting Texas-rigged soft plastics and weightless soft plastics. Pike are being pulled out of weed beds, and shallow coves and creeks using smelt, large spinners and swim baits. Rainbow, brown and cutthroat trout are being caught in feeder creeks using inline spinners. Walleye are still being caught on deep-diving crankbaits, and perch are biting near shallow stumps next to banks and coves. As a good rule of thumb, most fish are moving into the shallows as spring progresses and water levels rise. The water temperature is hovering around 59 degrees and climbing as high as 63 in those shallow areas. — Lakeside Motel and Resort.

Pablo Reservoir — There hasn’t been a lot of noise one way or the other on the bass fishing. People have been catching some pike, though. — Zimmer Bait and Tackle, Pablo.

Rock Creek (East) — People are catching small fish in the limited stretch of water that is open up to around Basin Campground. Brown trout and a few rainbows are mostly taking nymphs along with the occasional surface bite on a bright-colored attractor. Folks should be careful while traversing the banks because there are still some loose sections that can be iffy if you step on the wrong spot. — East Rosebud Fly Shop, Red Lodge.

South Fork of the Flathead River — This should be avoided during the continued intense runoff. — Arends Fly Shop, Columbia Falls.

Spring Creek — Fishing remains steady and the water is still clear. Nymphs during the day have been the ticket before dry fly hatches in the evening. — Sport Center, Lewistown.

Swan Lake — The water is still dirty. Once it clears up the fishing is expected to be good. — Zimmer Bait and Tackle, Pablo.

Tiber Reservoir — Fishing has been picking up with the water levels rising and water temperatures up. Lots of 13-14 inch walleye caught in addition to some 15-27 inchers. Leeches and crawlers seem to be a popular bait choice right now. — Ru’s Tiber Marina.

Tongue River Reservoir — The water temperature is averaging around the mid-70s and the walleye are still biting steady. A lot of nice-sized fish are being taken on leaches, crankbaits and a little bit of luck on bottom bouncers. The northern bite has been picking up with minnows being the bait of choice. The bass fishing has been lackluster at best and crappie fishing remains slow. The reservoir is still at full pool. — Tongue River Marina.

Yellowstone River, Big Timber — This is still in runoff condition. — Sweetcast Angler, Big Timber.

Yellowstone River, Livingston — The Yellowstone is open to recreation again, but we do not recommend fishing the ’Stone as there are better and safer options in the area. Things should come into shape during the coming weeks. For all ramp and section closures, go to: fwp.mt.gov/news/current-clusures-restrictions and zoom in on the Yellowstone River. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Bighorn Lake, Horseshoe Bend — Sauger have been slow to bite in Horseshoe Bend this week. Bass, crappie and catfish are around, though. Most catfish that are willing to bite are just east to the southern narrows entrance from the big lake. — Horseshoe Bend Marina.