Montana Fish Report

Surface water temperature has cooled from 70 degrees down to 63 in the last 10 days.  The trout should continue to feed in shallow water for the next 3 weeks or so. 

The trolling bite is pretty good, especially early.  If the water is flat and the sun is bright, the bite slows way down after the sun has been on the water for an hour or so.  Go early.

We are trolling pumpkinseed grubs in water 6-12 feet deep with the downriggers set at 4-5 feet deep.  As I mentioned above, we are catching bigger fish now.  There are still some small ones mixed in but the bigger fish are there too.  I’d say about 1/3 of the fish we are landing while trolling are 3 pounds plus.  Troll the west side of the lake below Pelican Point all the way down to Shrimp Island.

Fly fishing is good one day, slow the next.  On “real good” days we hook, land, and release 20 fish. On a slow day 6-7.  With the moon full, we have been experiencing more “drive bys”.  Your indicator will twitch and go down for a second and then the fish is gone.  The bite should pick up as the moon wanes.  We are anchoring in 10-11 feet of water and nymphing over rock piles.  The fish we are catching when fly fishing are ALL very nice fish averaging 3 pounds plus.  Fly fishing should be good through the end of June.  After that, the water will be too warm for the fish to be feeding in shallow water.

Bobber Fishing is not so hot. Not many folks are bobber fishing because the trolling is pretty good. Tim Noxon, Fish Traveler Guide Service, 530-825-3524, tnoxon@gmail.com, www.fishtraveler.com; www.eaglelakefishing.net