Lake Koocanusa — Fishing was hit-or-miss with the rain last week. Anglers are starting to pick up some 3- to 5-pound rainbows. Most of the trout being caught are pan size. Some are targeting the coves for 16- to 18-inch rainbows. Kokanee anglers are doing well at depths of 30 feet running silver flashers. Some anglers are running brass flashers on cloudy days. Pink maggots seemed to work better than the white maggots. — Koocanusa Resort and Marina, Libby.
Lake Mary Ronan — Perch fishing has been good. Kokanee fishing will be slowing down as they are getting ready to spawn. Rainbow fishing should be picking up. — Zimmer Bait and Tackle, Pablo.
Madison River, Lower — Thanks to the recent storms and the colder nights, water temperatures have dropped to fishable ranges. If you are heading out this way, Hopper-droppers are the go-to. Pink or yellow Morrish Hoppers or Water Walkers with a small flashy beadhead nymph, or a small tan turkey crayfish are the best options. Also, play around with where you are putting your flies as we have seen them being caught in all types of waters; buckets, shelves, and shallows depending on the time of day. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.
Madison River, Upper — With all the recent storms and cloud cover, the streamer bite has been awesome in the mornings. After the morning streamer bite has subsided, the Hopper-dropper rig has been the best bet. For droppers, anything small and flashy will get the job done: Green Machines, $3 Dips, Purple Deaths, Goblins, Copper Johns, Prince Nymphs, Perdigons, Worms, Shop Vacs, black and brown Rubberlegs, and your favorite Caddis Pupa are all good bets. Ants have also been in abundance on the upper, so fish are keying into those dropped off of a Hopper as well. One of the most underrated flies on the upper is a Drowned Ant. There has been a lot of big brown trout caught very early in the morning on big streamers. Streamer color has been variable, but typically black and olive are great colors on cloudier/rainy days and yellow and white are our favorites for sunny days. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.
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