Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Helena Area Fishing Report

February 16, 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. Areas around Confederate Campground and the South end, between the Silos and waterfowl pond (#4), have been best. Successful anglers are using jigs and wooly buggers tipped with worms or maggots in 6-15 feet of water and are running bait a couple feet off the bottom. North end bays are also producing Rainbows at varying water depths. Rainbow fishing is best around sunrise and sunset. 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. Jigging Rapala’s, glow hooks and Swedish pimples, tipped with maggots or perch eyes in 35-40 feet of water, are the bait of choice. A few burbot (ling) are being caught around Duck Creek Bay. Ice depths range from 6-inches at Magpie Bay (North end), 16-inches at Goose Bay (mid-reservoir) and 20-inches at Pond #4 (South end). Adam Strainer, FWP, Helena

Hauser: Rainbow fishing is fair in the Causeway while using green jigs tipped with a maggot or spawn sacks. A few rainbows are being caught from shore below Canyon Ferry Dam. Worms, marshmallows or spawn sacks have produced some nice trout catches. There have been reports of ling and walleye being caught in the Causeway halfway between Black Sandy and the Causeway Bridge. There is 10”-14” of ice out from the Causeway Bridge and 16” at Black Sandy. Troy Humphrey, FWP, Helena

Holter: Good rainbow fishing continues around Black Beach and Departure Point. Pink jigs tipped with maggots or spawn sacks in 8 to 10 feet of water has been working best. Anglers are finding perch and ling in 40 to 50 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 remains slow. A few have been caught on jigs tipped with a maggot in 15 to 20 feet of water. Perch fishing has been nonexistent. There is 18” of ice. Troy Humphrey, FWP, Helena