Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Helena Area Fishing Report

February 1, 2010

Anglers are reminded that ice conditions can be extremely variable on the reservoirs. Ice thickness can range from thick enough to support a vehicle to open water. Extreme caution should be used when accessing the ice.

Canyon Ferry: Rainbow fishing became more consistent over the past week. Early morning on the South end between the Silos and waterfowl pond (#4) has been best. Successful anglers are using green, orange or black jigs and wooly buggers tipped with worms or maggots in 6-9 feet of water and are running bait 1-foot off the bottom. Duck Creek bay has also been producing Rainbow’s in 15-25 feet of water. Very few perch are being caught, but the few successful anglers are finding perch along the pressure ridge between Duck Creek and Hole-in-the-Wall. Various colors of glow hooks and Swedish pimples, tipped with maggots or perch eyes in 35-50 feet of water, are the bait of choice. A few walleye are being caught along the Hole-in-the-Wall pressure ridge. Burbot (ling) fishing remains very slow across the reservoir. Ice depths range from 5-inches at Magpie Bay (North end), 17-inches at Goose Bay (mid-reservoir) and 19-inches at Pond #4 (South end). Be careful out there! Adam Strainer, FWP, Helena

Hauser: Rainbow fishing is fair in the Causeway while using pink jigs tipped with a maggot or spawn sacks. Some rainbows are showing up as well around Black Sandy with the best bet being jigs or Swedish Pimples. Walleye and perch fishing are slow. There is 10”-18” of ice out from the Causeway Bridge and 16” at Black Sandy. Troy Humphrey, FWP, Helena

Holter: Rainbow fishing is good around Black Beach and Departure Point. Brown or Chartreuse jigs tipped with maggots in 15 to 20 feet of water has been working best. Anglers are finding perch and walleye in 35 to 45 feet of water out from Log Gulch. There is 12”-16” of ice at the Log Gulch, Departure Point, Black Beach and Holter Ramp access sites. Troy Humphrey, FWP, Helena

Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir: Kokanee fishing has started to improve. Jigs tipped with a maggot in 18 to 24 feet of water has been working best. Perch fishing has been nonexistent. There is 18” of ice. Troy Humphrey, FWP, Helena