Montana Fish Report

Cooler mornings and shorter days have surface temps on the decline. Afternoon winds have been tossing white caps and  removing  additional surface heat. Water clarity on the east basin is excellent to 18 feet. The clarity on the west basin is less from all the wind, and clarity is more like 12 feet or less, also there is lots of floating grasses and other line-fouling material about.

Bug hatches have been unbelievable this year and continue to go off every late morning. The amount of activity is almost beyond comprehension and the fish have had a variety of insects to feast on all summer. In addition, the smelt fry hatch has been the best I have seen in 12 years. Clouds of bait fish are moving all along the east peninsula and salmon and trout have plenty to feed on this season. Canyon Dam and the deep water there have clouds of bait everywhere and these schools of bait are all bigger than a school bus. 

I have been fishing the eastside all month and it's been getting better every day. Even with all the food available, we have been hooking rainbows and browns  from 16-  to 22-inches, trolling threaded nightcrawlers at 27- and 30-feet down. All the fish we have seen have been in good health and are of course, fat. They have been just full of bugs, but lately they have turned their attention to the smelt, spitting out lots of them as we work them to the boat. The smelt are growing fast and are running about 1.5- to 2-inches long. The story is, there's lots of food around and the bite has been just fair this year. Everyone has been working a little longer for limits these last two months, however it looks like we are about to turn the corner now, and I expect a stellar fall fishing season.

Biologist have completed a recent water quality survey this past week and found the best oxygen levels to be at 35 feet, which explains why the best bite has been from 25 to 35 feet Fish are holding at these levels and that's where you should be. I have been downrigged to the 27 foot level and have lots of bigger fish dashing up out of the thermolcline for solid hits and hook sets. Keep in mind that with cooler water all year, the salmon have not been forced into the springs, the rainbows have not been forced into the Hamilton Branch like previous years and the fish are scattered all over the lake.

If you are going to troll spoons, downsize. With water clarity so good, we have downsized our lures and silver is the best color. Silver prism needlefish and Sep's Pro Secrets are about as big as you should go and tip them with a small piece of a crawler. Bait fishing has been best in the late afternoon and evening with nice Browns over 3 pounds whacking cricket /mealworm combos 4 feet off the bottom.

The Bailey Springs area has been a great spot this season. Bobbers and nightcrawlers, inflated nightcrawlers off the bottom, even salmon eggs have been getting rainbows larger than two pounds  and a couple bigger than four from time to time.

Generally the fish are scattered all over the lake and trolling has been the best with bait fishing taking a back seat, especially in the morning. Bait fishing has been most productive in the late afternoon to dark.

Crickets and mealworms, four cranks off the bottom behind Goose Island, Rec.2, The Spar Buoy, Fox Farm, and Rec.1 just outside the log boom are where some of the biggest fish this season have come and later in the day rather than early.  Doug Neal (530) 258-6732 http://www.almanorfishingadventures.com