Montana Fish Report

The wind began to blow last Monday and blew through Tuesday.  The lake water visibility was reduced and cloudy water conditions slowed the bite way down.   The water had cleared somewhat by Thursday and the fishing began to slowly pick back up. Water temps as of today were 59 degrees on the surface.

The fish that I cleaned were loaded with snails which is what I would expect when fishing shallow rock piles and structure.  I set the baits 4 feet deep on the downriggers and leave them there.  That way you don’t snag the bottom as often.  I try not to get into water any shallower than 5 feet.   The fish will come up from deeper water to eat the baits. Last Thursday, we went on our first fly fishing trip of the season.  We anchored up in 10-11 feet of water south of Shrimp Island on rock piles and fished a foot off the bottom.  In 4 hours of fishing we caught and released 15 fish to a little over 3 lbs for 2 anglers.  The water is still pretty cloudy in this area of the south basin of Eagle Lake.  I expect the scores to increase as the water clears.

 Launching

I launched my 19 foot Arima at the Spalding Launch Ramp this week without a problem.  The water you have to cover on the way out to the main lake is very low.  The lowest readings I am getting on my scope are 1.3 feet.  Elevate your motor, or go in and out on your kicker motor.

The launch ramp at the southern marina at Gallatin Marina is open and will be useable for the entire season.  Travel time between Spalding and the southern launch ramp is 25 minutes. Tim Noxon, Fish Traveler Guide Service, 530-825-3524, tnoxon@gmail.com, www.fishtraveler.com; www.eaglelakefishing.net