Montana Ice Fishing Reports

[SportFishin']

Hey Guys,

I have been honored to become your local HSO Specialist here in MT. I would like to get this local forum Rockin' with all of us here in MT, ID, & WY. So tell your brothers, sisters, dads, cousins, co-workers, and anybody else you know here in MT about HSO.com It is hard to get info out West here so let's make HotSpotOutdoors.com the place to come for all thier outdoor info.

I will be updating this post with regional fishing reports as they become available to me and as I have reports of my own from my outings.

Report:

Higher Elevation Lakes: Up in the Beartooths are becoming Ice free with rainbows being caught on Emerald Lake with a small ice sheet on one end. The trail to Mystic Lake is still pretty snow covered so that will be awhile before we can get up there.

Cooney Res.: Walleyes are being caught at night on crank baits trolling in the 10-12 ft range. Average size has been 16-20" with some prespawn big girls being caught. Rainbows are also being caught thru-out the day with some 3lbers being landed over the weekend.

Yellowstone River: Walleyes & Sauger are starting to run. Ling Fishing has been fair to good in the Billings area with river levels starting to rise as the snow melt starts. Be careful if your going to wade this water as the currents can be dangerous this time of year. Cats are also being taken near the Huntley diversion dam.

Clarks Fork Yellowstone: Is running pretty stained right now with tough going for Trout but Ling are active.

Petrolia Lake: Pike are active along with the Walleyes with a report of a 18lb Pike being caught last Sat.

Big Horn & Yellowtail: No Report as of yet. Maybe Sarpy can update us?

Ft. Peck: Walleyes & Pike are being caught. The FWP just completed thier spawn harvest for walleyes and set an all time record with over 2M eggs harvested the first 2 days of netting. So the hatchery results should be good this year!!!

Best Regards,

Chris

[Wallydog]

welcome fellow moderator.........you are setting the bar pretty high in terms of info sharing! Nice job. I'll try keep everyone as up to date as possible on Idaho.

Cheers,

WD

[CAJ]

Thanks for a report. We don't get to much info on Montana. Hope to get it going more Cliff

[duckhunter889900]

Well I guess I will add the first report from WY

Keyhole Res. walleyes are being caught in the 10-15 ft range, crappies are just moving up into the shallows

North Platte. is producing some nice fish from Alcova to Government bridge

[duckhunter889900]

Just got back from a weekend at Glendo Fishing was good we ended up with 25 walleyes for 4 guys not bad they were being caught throughout the whole lake pretty much in aabout 10- 30 ft of water

[Fishing Realtor]

Anybody have any recent Ft. Peck reports?

[Sarpy Creek Boy]

Hey Chris, Good reports...

The Bighorn River is flowing at about 4500 to 5000 or more right now, they have opened up the dam to lower the water to do some repairs on the dam. Some fields in the North Valley are flooding from all the extra water, but I heard the Eel Pout and pike are biting.. I also heard that Tounge River is hot for crappies right now... No Walleye reports from the Bighorn River or in Bighorn Lake yet... Trout were pretty hot about a month ago, but haven't been out since then.

[SportFishin']

Here are the local reports as of June 4th from the Billings Gazette:

Fishing Report: High water pushes anglers to reservoirs, which are fishing well

The fishing is pretty much all lakes, reservoir and tailwaters these days. Rivers and streams are blown out with high, muddy water from snowmelt runoff.

Reservoirs, however, are fishing very well. A strong walleye bite is developing on Fort Peck as fish move into the shallows to chase minnows in flooded vegetation.

Places like Tongue River Reservoir, Ackley Lake and Holter Reservoir are also providing some very good fishing. Look for them to get even better in the weeks ahead.

Trout fishing in moving waters is pretty much relegated to the Bighorn River below Afterbay Dam and the Missouri River below Holter. But both are fishing very well.

Montana waters.

Ackley: The lake has come up and it's fishing well. Cowbells and wedding rings with a night crawler is a good presentation. - Don's, Lewistown.

Bighorn Lake: Some walleyes and sauger are being caught, along with good numbers of smallmouth bass. Jigs and minnows are your best bet. Catfish are also being caught. - Pryor Creek Bait Co., Laurel.

Bighorn River: Fishing is very good. Blue-winged olives and midges are hatching on the cloudy days. The downy wonder baetis nymph is producing behind a 14 or 16 Adams parachute. Midge larva and pupa in red or black are also working in size 18 or 20. All the usual nymphs are working. Flows are at 4,500 cfs. Fish are looking for slack water. - Bighorn Fly and Tackle.

Boulder: High and muddy. - Rainbow Run Fly Shop.

Canyon Ferry: Fishing from shore for rainbows has slowed on the north end. Rainbows are being caught around Cemetery Island and White Earth while trolling cowbells tipped with a crawler or crankbaits. Walleye fishing is inconsistent off the south dikes while dragging bottom bouncers and a leech. Walleye are being caught around Goose Bay on jigs and leeches in 10 feet of water. - FWP, Helena.

Cooney: Trout are biting well from boats. Shore fishing for walleyes is decent. Crawlers are your best bet for bait. The leech bite is also starting. - Pryor Creek Bait Co., Laurel.

Deadmans Basin: Rainbow trout are biting well on worms and marshmallows. No salmon reports. No tiger muskies reported. - Super D, Ryegate.

Fort Peck, dam area: Walleye fishing has been great. Most of the fish are being caught down the Dry Arm and in the Duck Creek areas. Lake trout fishing has also been great in the Haxby Point area. The Rock Creek Tournament will be held this weekend out of the Rock Creek Marina. - FortPeckLake.com

Fort Peck, Hell Creek: Anglers are coming in with limits of walleye every day. A minnow and a blue or a pink jig seem to be working the best. Water levels are up and continue to flood shoreline vegetation. Some nice smallmouth bass are also being caught along with some big northern pike. - HellCreekMarina.com.

Gallatin: High and muddy. - Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Hauser:Rainbow fishing has been fair while trolling cowbells tipped with a crawler around Black Sandy and the Causeway. Rainbows are being caught from shore below Canyon Ferry Dam while drifting jigs with a worm. Walleye fishing has been good on Lake Helena and the Causeway while trolling bottom bouncers and a leech or perch-colored crankbaits. - FWP, Helena.

Holter: Rainbow fishing is good while trolling cowbells tipped with a crawler throughout the reservoir. A few rainbows are being caught from shore at Log Gulch and Departure Point while using worms or marshmallows. A few walleye are being caught around the Gates of the Mountains, otherwise fishing has been slow. - FWP, Helena.

Madison: Running high with most of it muddy. - Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Missouri, below Holter: Flows are about 11,500 cfs. The river is up, but fishing well with nymphs and woolly buggers. It also has lots of bugs - caddis, March browns and some PMDs. - Montana Fly Goods, Helena.

Missouri, Fred Robinson Bridge: The water level has really come up. Catfish action has slowed down a bit. Some catch and release paddlefish angling is going on. - Don's, Lewistown.

Nelson: The reservoir is a bit spotty. Some guys are doing well, others aren't. Bottom bouncers are your best bet. Cranks are taking fish, too. Look a little deeper for the walleyes. - Westside Sports, Malta.

Smith: Flows are at 930 cfs; it's muddy and will be for a while. The salmonfly hatch is on the river, but the mud is making it hard for the fish to see them. - Montana Fly Goods, Helena.

Spring Creek: It's running high and muddy. Chartreuse beadhead copper Johns are taking some trout. - Don's, Lewistown.

Stillwater: High and muddy. - Rainbow Run Fly Shop.

Tongue River Reservoir: Crappies are moving into the shallows. Jigs are working. Some are running up to 10 to 11 inches. Walleyes are also biting well. - Ron Herman, Pryor Creek Bait Co.

Yellowstone, Intake: The paddlefish harvest season was closed at 9 p.m. Wednesday. Catch-and-release only at Intake Fishing Access Site will continue through June 13. - FWP, Miles City.

Yellowstone, Livingston: High and muddy. - Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Wyoming waters

Boysen: Some walleye are being caught off the points by the big island. Walleyes are hitting on crankbaits. Trout are still hitting at Muddy Bay. - Boysen Lake Marina.

Buffalo Bill: Things have really slowed down with runoff now in full tilt. Inflows have been running at more than 8,000 cfs, resulting in brown, muddy water throughout the reservoir. - Robert Crooks, Cody, Wyo.

Keyhole: Crappies are biting near the dam. Smallmouth bass are also biting. A few walleyes have been caught. No reports of big northern pike. - Keyhole Marina.

[SportFishin']

Hey Sarpy,

Thanks for the update. I have been trying to get down to Tounge but the State cant get their software going. So I can get my old boat titled in MT from MN yet.

The better half is off to MN the first two weeks of July with the Boys so I will have some kitchen passes to burn that second weekend in July. We should try to plan an outing to wade the Bighhorn down your way.

My 12 yr old son just completed his MT hunter safety class and hit the Dong at 300 yards dead center with a .223 looks like dad will be getting him a new rifle this year.

Let me know,

Chris

[Sarpy Creek Boy]

Hey thanks Chris, I am having the same issue with my trailer, except it was licenced in MN as a homemade trailer, and I need to stamp a new serial no# in the trailer then get a sherrif or HP to sign off on the paper work. Am having a hard time stamping a number on the frame, the sherrif won't except the stamp I did, I am going to take it in to a welder and have him weld the numbers on the frame, the sherrif better like it!!!

As of this morning the Bighorn was flowing at 6500, and that is with out the snow melt because of the cold weather we have been having, they are recommending that you avoid shore wading because of the flow, dangerous currents, the guides are having trouble keeping their pace slow, an 8 hour float is being cut down by two to three hours, but the trout are biting if you can find a spot where there is a slow down in the current...

Later

[SportFishin']

Yeah I had to do the same thing to my trailer & boat. My boat is from 1955 so I had to stamp a new vin in the boat and trailer. I took mine up to the FWP here in Billings to get inspected after I stamped them and they were fine with mine. I used a 3/8" stamp set from Harbor Freight and held the stamps with a vise grip so I could wack it really hard seemed to work.

They titled my trailer but they couldn't get the software working for titling the boat. Guess I'll just have to wait awhile.

Regards,

Chris

[Sarpy Creek Boy]

I have the same stamp set, and did my stampimg the same way. Maybe I'll go to one of the deputys, the sheriff here is a dink. Alto he did a fantastic job the other day busting a meth lab..

[Sarpy Creek Boy]

Bighorn update:

Now that the colder than normal spring is over, the snow pack is melting fast and with the rain we have had the last couple of weeks, BigHorn Lake is full on both sides of the border, and the overflow pools are starting to flood, The flow on the river is about 10,500 CFM, The river is a little ( actually alot) dangerous for shore fishing and wading, Float trips are fast but smooth because the ripples are about three feet below the surface. Lots of moss for spinner fishing, but very good for fly fishing......

Don,

Good thing you cancelled your trip out here, we would have had a heck of a time trying to wade out to fish.....

[Sarpy Creek Boy]

The Big Horn River is now at 12,481 CFM, it is high and FAST!!!

They have closed the Fishing Access Site by my place because of the flooding, and the FWP says the boat ramp, parking lot, and one of the roads has been washed out.

I walked down there Sat evening, to do a little fishing, but the water was just starting to come over the banks, and big old cottonwood trees were floating by. Behind the Dam, the flood pools are now 4' deep and they expect another 2' in the pools by this weekend.

Haven't heard any fishing reports from up river, and nobody is fishing on this part of the river

[Sarpy Creek Boy]

I did some research, Back in the mid 80's, the Bighorn River was at it's highest CFM, which was 14,000 CFM.

Called a Guide I know, he said fishing from shore was impossable, but if you float the fishing is fantastic, if you find the right spot. You need to find an area of the river that is not affected by the flow. The Bigger fish from down stream have moved upstream, and they are eating everything and anything.

In my last report, I said the water was just starting to come over the banks, At a normal flow the banks are 6 feet high..

I am use to 1500 to 3000 CFM's on this river, This almost 13,000 CFM's is for the birds, guess I'll mow my 23 acres. Can't fish.....

[Sarpy Creek Boy]

My Apoligies, I have been giving you the wrong information,

The flow rate is Cubic Feet per Second (CFS), not the Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM) as I have been reporting. Somebody should have pointed out what a Dummy I am... LOL

As of 8:00 this morning the Flow on the Bighorn River is now at 13,000 CFS. Most of the snow is gone from the mountains, but not all of it, so we may reach or beat the 14,000 CFS record.

[SportFishin']

Fished Bighorn Lake yesterday. Walleyes were biting up until about 10am on jigs tipped with twister tails, and believe it or not I gave a #4 Firetiger Perch Chubby Darter a try for the fun of it and slammed 3 Eyes 12ft under the boat got to see the strikes. Every time there were 4-5 fish chasing the Darter up every time. Was cool to watch.

Also slammed the Smallmouth from 11am-3pm on White Buzzbaits along the Canyon walls the top water action was rippin' yesterday.

Shot of the Canyon

A MT Bronze Back

Sorry about the grainy photos camera was screwed up I guess.

Tight Lines,

Chris

[Sully20]

That's a great looking smallie! Buzzbaits are a good time for those big ones.

Do you have any info on the fishing below Yellowtail on the Bighorn. I am going to be floating it with a buddy next Friday and am hoping for a good trip. Flows have dropped to about 7200 cfs and I'm hoping it will come down some more in the next week.

How early do you have to get to the launch to beat the majority of the boats down the river? We are thinking about putting in at 3 mile to get ahead of the people putting in at the dam. We are coming from Billings, so we're thinking of shooting for a 8am launch. Any info would be appreciated. I'll post a report when I get back in a few weeks.

[SportFishin']

Here is an updated report for the area from the Billings Gazette:

Montana waters

Bighorn Lake: Action has been good on both minnows and leeches. Jigs or worm harnesses are both producing. Both walleye and sauger are being caught, and the good smallmouth bass bite has begun as well. Anglers are targeting about 25 feet of water. - Pryor Creek Bait Co., Laurel.

Bighorn River: Nymphing has been fantastic, and dry fly fishing is picking up. The river is still high but clear and fishable by boat. Flows are dropping from 12,450 cubic feet per second to 7,800 cfs. Water temperature is 58 degrees. Nymphs that are working include LBF's, black quills, sowbugs, Ray Charles, wonder nymphs and San Juan worms. - Bighorn Fly and Tackle.

Boulder River: It's dropping and clearing and is fishing well, especially up high. Stoneflies, yellow sallies and caddis are on the water. Beadhead copper johns, prince nymphs and hare's ears are working. - Rainbow Run Fly Shop.

Canyon Ferry Reservoir: Rainbows have gone into deeper water and fishing for them has been a bit slow. Walleye are being caught throughout the reservoir and the best action has been in the early morning and evening. Bay points on the North end, Confederate, Duck Creek Bay and Ponds 2 and 3 have shown the best results. The walleye are being caught on both bottom bouncers and jigs tipped with leeches or worms in 15 to 20 feet of water. - FWP, Helena.

Cooney Reservoir: Leeches are the preferred bait. Walleye anglers are hitting the lake at night and having some success. - Pryor Creek Bait Co., Laurel.

Deadmans Basin: Not many reports coming in. The lake is now full and is leveling off. Some salmon and trout are being caught. No tiger muskie reports. - Super D, Ryegate.

Flathead Lake: Lake trout are in a transition mode. They are moving, spreading out throughout the northern half of the lake and feeding on perch fry and whitefish fry. This time of year, the food for the fish is very plentiful, and it is hard to convince them to bite. There are rumors of lake whitefish being caught but not with any consistency. - MoFisch Charters, Lakeside.

Fort Peck Reservoir, Dam area: Fishing is very good for walleyes near Double Hump, the Pines and Haxby Point. Fish are scattered. They can be in shallow early in the mornings and down to 35 feet by midday. Some good lake trout reports are also coming in with Haxby Point being a good spot. They're down 80 to 100 feet. No salmon reports recently. - Lakeridge, Fort Peck.

Fort Peck Reservoir, Hell Creek: The walleye bite is going strong both east and west of Hell Creek. Some fish have started to move to deeper water, but you can still find them shallow early in the morning and again at evening. All methods are working: jigs and bait, bottom bouncers and spinners and trolling crankbaits. A lot of eater-sized walleyes being caught with a number of trophies as well. - Hell Creek Marina.

Gallatin River: The river has the "Gallatin Green" color to it right now and with that comes some of the best dropping and clearing of the year. It's dry fly time up in the canyon. Fish are looking up for salmonflies with some bugs up higher around Big Sky. Other than that, you have caddis, PMD's, sallies, and some golden stones as well. - Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Hauser Reservoir: Rainbow fishing has been fair in the York Bridge area while trolling green and gray crankbaits. Good walleye action has been reported around Black Sandy; however, most fish are small. The best bet has been while using bottom bouncers and worms in 15 feet of water. - FWP, Helena.

Holter Reservoir: Rainbow fishing is good while trolling cowbells tipped with a crawler around Split Rock and just above the dam. The rainbows are being caught 15 to 20 feet deep. Walleye fishing is very good with most action happening around Cottonwood Creek, Split Rock and shallow bays. The best bet is using chartreuse jigs or bottom bouncers in 12 to 15 feet of water. - FWP, Helena.

Madison River: Some salmonflies are still out up towards the Slide. If you don't want to chase the hatch, then stay lower on the river towards Ennis as the Golden Stone and sally action has been pretty decent with a lot fewer people on the river. - Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Nelson Reservoir: Jigs and crankbaits seem to be the tactics of choice. No big bite has turned on, but some eater-size walleyes are being caught. Some northern pike are being caught, too. - Westside Sports, Malta.

Stillwater River: It's clearing, especially above Absarokee. Fishing is good with big stonefly nymphs trailed by beadhead copper johns, pheasant tails and caddis pupa. Stimulators have been working as well as yellow sallies. - Rainbow Run Fly Shop.

Tongue River Reservoir: The walleye bite is still going strong and some northern pike are being caught as well. The crappie bite continues. Worms and jigs are your best bets. Smallmouth bass are still hitting as well. - Tongue River Marina.

Yellowstone River, Livingston: Salmonflies have moved through at this point and are up in the park. Golden stones are hatching in the valley with some good dry fly-fishing unless muddy water comes down from park. Streamer action is available below town, but beware - it's still a big river down there due to heavy flows. - Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Wyoming waters

Boysen Reservoir: Walleye fishing is good. Trolled crankbaits continue to be the tactic of choice with some anglers also using jigs or bottom bouncers. Trout are being caught incidentally while anglers are targeting walleyes. - Boysen Lake Marina.

Buffalo Bill Reservoir: Inflows are dropping rapidly, and the water is starting to clear. Fishing is rated as only fair, but that's much better than a few weeks ago, and things should bet better in the coming days. The North Fork Arm opened on July 15th, with boaters trolling hardware doing best. - Robert Crooks, Cody, Wyo.

Keyhole Reservoir: Some big walleyes are still being caught. Jigs and minnows or jigs and nightcrawlers are the top producers. Some northern pike are also being caught. - Keyhole Marina.

[tbeste]

Fished the bighorn Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Thursday we fished from Bighorn access downstream 2-3 miles and did well. My uncle and I caught 35 or so fish between the 2 of us. We fished both spin rods with crawlers as well as fly rods nymphing san juans and scuds. Saturday we floated from Bighorn to Mallards Landing and did OK above the bridge, but not a single hit downstream of the St.X bridge. Sunday we wade fished upstream from 3 miles and had a ball using foam hopper patterns. I had 5 fish on, and missed another 6 that hit but I didn't hook.

Also managed a full day of helping a rancher eliminate some prairie dogs.

With all the wheat being harversted and the recent wind the trout are really keying on the hoppers.

Travis

[SportFishin']

Cooney Lake Report

16 inches of ice. Trout being caught from 8 ft to 16 ft of water using Crawlers. Ling are being taken using Cut Bait near the Dam & the northern end of the lake. No reports of Walleye being caught. Plenty of wind out there today! But was a beautiful day to be on the ice with 45 degree temps and sun.

Regards,

Chris

[SportFishin']

Walleyes are starting to bite on Cooney & I was just camping up in the Beartooths and all alpine lakes are still iced up with a little open water around the edges. Moose & Bears were really active this weekend.

Regards,

Chris

[SportFishin']

Fished down on the Yellowstone near Huntley,MT Sunday and only caught little Stone Cats from 6-8" but fun being out on the river.

Regards,

Chris

[SportFishin']

While some rivers are high and unfishable, there are still plenty of options for good fishing this week.

On the Missouri River below Holter Dam and the Madison River, anglers are finding success, reported Ross Flick of Montana Troutfitters in Bozeman. Flick also said that several area lakes were fishing well, like Hebgen on white zonkers. Fly fishermen can also try their luck on larger reservoirs, like Canyon Ferry, which is fishing well on chronimids.

In other news, the annual Leonard Lawver Memorial Kids Fishing Day is Saturday at 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the South Pond in Laurel. The event is free of charge and there will be prizes for all the children. There will be some fishing rods available to borrow, but if you have one, bring it, said Ron Herman of Pryor Creek Bait Co., which will be providing bait for young anglers.

Here’s The Gazette’s weekly fishing report:

Bighorn Lake: We haven’t heard a lot from the weekend other than some walleyes and a few sauger, bass and crappie were biting. Try night crawlers and leeches. — Pryor Creek Bait Co., Laurel.

Bighorn River: The cfs was steady at 9,500 on Tuesday. Fishing is good, but wade fishing and dry fly fishing it is minimal due to the volume of water. Fish wire worms in sizes 4-6 in colors red and orange and then 18 inches behind that use a firebead sowbug (18-20) or a Steve’s sowbug in a size 14 or 16 and deaddrift fish it toward the bank. — Bighorn Fly and Tackle.

Boulder River: The lower river is high, muddy and pretty much unfishable. Past the church camps upstream it is high but clear. Use big stonefly nymphs, small beadheads like Copper Johns and prince nymphs. — Rainbow Run Fly Shop.

Canyon Ferry Reservoir:All fishing on Canyon Ferry slowed down this past week due to cool and wet weather moving through central Montana. Bank fishing for rainbows on the north end, from the outhouse to Shannon, continues to produce a few fish. Red jigs tipped with worms and marshmallows worked best while fly fishing with beadhead nymphs also picked up fish. Boat anglers are having success for rainbows trolling cowbells, Rock ’n’ Rolls, silver spoons and Rapalas (black, gold and orange) throughout the north end of the reservoir. Walleye fishing remained slow as water temperatures at the south end were in the low 50s. Look for the bite to pick up substantially over the next few weeks. Standard methods like pulling cranks, bottom bouncers and jigs will work best. — Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Helena.

Cooney Reservoir: There were a ton of people out fishing this weekend, but not too many reports. A lot of guys bought leeches to target walleyes. Before the holiday, anglers were catching walleyes and trout from shore. — Pryor Creek Bait Co., Laurel.

Fort Peck Reservoir, Dam area: Fishing is really good. Walleye action is picking up. Try the Haxby Point, Bear Creek, Flat Lake and Duck Creek areas. Fishing should continue to get better for walleyes. Use minnows, leeches or crawlers. Lake trout are running 28-60 feet deep. Use an Evil Eye Flutter Spoon or a flasher and squid. Anglers are catching northerns while fishing for walleyes. — Lakeridge, Fort Peck.

Fort Peck Reservoir, Hell Creek: Minnows are taking walleyes in the Timber Creek and Snow Creek areas. A few walleyes are also being caught in the bay by the marina. A few northerns are being caught in the bay. The best northern action is by Crooked Creek, Sutherlin and Snow Creek. — Hell Creek Marina.

Gallatin River: The lower river, from Taylor’s Fork down, is blown out. Above there it is clear and looking good. The water is still cold, but not muddy. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Hauser Reservoir: Rainbow fishing is good while trolling cowbells or olive-colored crankbaits in the White Sandy/Black Sandy area. Rainbows are being caught from shore around York Bridge and Riverside on worms or marshmallows. Lake Helena walleye fishing has been good while trolling perch-colored crankbaits or bottom bouncers and leeches. — FWP, Helena.

Holter Reservoir: Rainbows are being caught from shore at Log Gulch and Departure Point while using worms or marshmallows. Boat anglers are doing well throughout the reservoir while trolling cowbells tipped with a worm. Walleye fishing is picking up with reports of some good catches around Gates of the Mountains while drifting jigs. — FWP, Helena.

Keyhole Reservoir, Wyo.: Fishing is getting better with the warmer weather. Minnows and worms are working best. Use large minnows for walleyes and smaller minnows for crappies. — Keyhole Marina.

Madison River: The river is fishing well. On the lower part, use crayfish and red San Juan worms. Lightning bugs and stones are working, as well. On the upper end, use lightning bugs, pheasant tails, stones and there is some streamer action on sculpins in olive or natural. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Missouri River, Below Holter: It is fishing well. They are seeing some caddis. Use a caddis pupa or soft-hackle caddis. One can also try scuds or streamers, like sculpins or a zonker. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Nelson Reservoir: Fishing is slow. A few small fish have been caught, but it hasn’t turned on yet. — Westside Sports, Malta.

Spring Creek: High and muddy. Fishing at Ackley Lake is good. They are filling it and anglers are doing well on worms, corn and flies. — Don’s, Lewistown.

Stillwater River: The lower river was 1,400 cfs on Tuesday and pretty much unfishable. The higher part, above Nye, is clear and high but fishable. Use big stonefly nymphs, small beadheads like Copper Johns and prince nymphs. — Rainbow Run Fly Shop.

Tongue River Reservoir: The weather seemed to affect it and fishing was slow. Crappie seemed to start biting in the evening. Boaters had the best luck. However, there were some places along the shore where people caught crappie. Try a jig and a tail. — Tongue River Reservoir State Park.

Yellowstone River, Billings: They are catching catfish with big minnows. Or try shrimp and cutbait. — Pryor Creek Bait Co., Laurel.

Yellowstone River, Livingston: It was up to 10,000 cfs Wednesday. It is too dangerous to fish. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

"Report is from JOHN LETASKY Of The Billings Gazette Staff Thursday, June 3"

Tight Lines!

Chris

[SportFishin']

Got out yesterday with the boys on Cooney and picked up a few walleyes in the rain. Trolling firetiger rattlin' raps. This one was caught by my 8 year old Adam his first MT Eye since we have moved out here.

Tight Lines!

Chris