Fishing in Montana?

fishing101 · #1 02-05-2008, 09:54 PM

Hey does anyone go fishing in Montana? I was looking at some of the lakes and they have everything in them. Muskie, walleye, bass, salmon, trout, and everything you can think of.
Wondering if anyone goes do there and what they fish for?

gobblerguy · #2 02-05-2008, 10:14 PM

I have fished alot in MT. mostly Blackfeet res. lakes, lots of large rainbows two of my favourites are Duck and Mission. Only fished in the summer months.

ballyboy · #3 02-05-2008, 10:20 PM

I have fished at Duck Lake a long time ago. Great place to go. I believe it's on a reservation so you might have to purchase a special license to go there. Big Trout though.

Just a small thought about Montana....A River Runs Through it.

#4 02-05-2008, 11:24 PM

x3 on duck lake. Trophy rainbows.

fishman · #5 02-06-2008, 09:11 AM

I paid almost a hundred dollars to fish on duck lake.....it is a good lake but not worth its money....if you fish it early in the year alot better chances of catching bigger trout or in the fall.......the rules on this lake suck and they inforce it to....can't be on lake after dark and don;t have a pee unless it is in a bathroom or u get a $150 fine.........just not a big thrill for me i would rather fish swan lake and get as much of a thrill

Scott N · #6 02-06-2008, 09:33 AM

My Dad used to take us out to Duck Lake when I was a kid but I haven't been there for about 25 years. Back then the fishing was good and we never got had any problems with the natives.

We used to also fish Flathead lake near Kalispell for rainbows and Kokanee Salmon (if my memory is correct).

I've always enjoyed going to Montana... nice country and people.

TheClash · #7 02-06-2008, 09:43 AM

only ever fished in montana when backpacking through glacier national park....great fishing though....and no permit required.

theduke · #8 02-06-2008, 10:05 AM

i heard it was unreal for fly fishing u drive throgh one of the towns and its all fly fishing shops

#9 02-06-2008, 04:17 PM

I remember going to Glacier park and towns like Kalispell and libby and whitefish, absolutely full of fly shops and friendly people.

#10 02-06-2008, 05:22 PM

Friends of mine go to duck a few times every year. They buy a licence from the reserve and get at it. They catch a lot of 5-10 lb rainbows, believe they used to catch big browns in their as well. If i was going to go bass fishing again i'd head to Vaseux lake BC. I had a lot of fun there a few years ago, caught tons of bass and sunfish fishing from shore.

goldscud · #11 02-07-2008, 12:28 PM

Duck lake is a fraction of the trophy lake it once was. There is VERY few trout over 5 lb in Duck today. It would appear that the giant increase in angler numbers that come in the spring to catch cruising fish looking to spawn is having an effect. There is good numbers of fish in the 16-18.5" class, but why go pay $100 to catch average fish. You can catch way more at Bullshead and soon at Police Outpost.

TheClash · #12 02-07-2008, 01:14 PM

i guess i lied..i have fished other than when i was backpacking...just forgot.....years ago on a kayaking trip through montana...fished the madison and the gallitan(sp)...both were incredible......fun little trouts that tasted oh soooo good...

one of the guys i was with would stash a break down rod in his hull of his kayak..and in flat sections he would pull it out and fish right from his yak.....it was awesome....he was known for it..so one day he played a trick on us.....during a flat section he started to yell about how he could see a ton of fish right below him....so instead of getting his rod out...he rolls his kayak over and is underwater for a few seconds and then rolls up and in his mouth is a fish!! we were all flabberghasted...mouths wide open etc...until he started laughing and pulled the fish out of his mouth and threw it at us. it was a rubber one he had hid in his paddling jacket...haha...great joke though!

Sundancefisher · #13 02-07-2008, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldscud

Duck lake is a fraction of the trophy lake it once was. There is VERY few trout over 5 lb in Duck today. It would appear that the giant increase in angler numbers that come in the spring to catch cruising fish looking to spawn is having an effect. There is good numbers of fish in the 16-18.5" class, but why go pay $100 to catch average fish. You can catch way more at Bullshead and soon at Police Outpost.

I gotta agree with you goldscud. There was quite a few 16 inchers last year but they seem to be having trouble getting 19 inches and over. I believe it is a combination of over stocking, heavy ice fishing pressure, extremely heavy spring spawning pressure and reduced food. There is a bad sucker population that could be hurting it also.

If someone goes there just stay at Duck Lake Lodge. The lake campsite is not maintain...no washroom, no garbage pick up and drunk guys wandering through all hours. Also scammers trying to make you pay money to stay when they should not. Scary place at night if you are not in a group.

We have also been harassed by motor boats while in our tubes down there. Wind is also a very dangerous problem for the uninitiated. We snuck into the abandoned campground last year and had a grizzly bear sow and cubs running around which was also dangerous. Be cautious.

Police or Bullshead is a way better option and not involving border crossings.

Cheers

Sun

theduke · #14 02-07-2008, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TundraBuck

I remember going to Glacier park and towns like Kalispell and libby and whitefish, absolutely full of fly shops and friendly people.

hope to pass through those towns and find some good deals at the end of the month

TheClash · #15 02-08-2008, 09:46 AM

there is a great fishing shop in dillon mt. right next door to the patagonia outlet actually. it usually has some really good deals in it...and the guys in the shop are uber friendly...

Newspeak · #16 11-25-2009, 01:33 PM

Night of the living thread!!!

Found this thread, and figure I'd post a couple of pics from my trip from earlier this fall.

Still some decent fish there, but it can be hit and miss depending on the time of year, IMO.

This is the only guy landed the first day. Would have tossed 'em back, but we forgot to bring dinner! Unlucky break for this little fellow:

Woke up the next day to a good 6" of snow, but it sure improved the fishing!

Waxy · #17 11-25-2009, 01:45 PM

Ft. Peck Reservoir is on my very short list of MUST fish lakes in the near future. There's some stunning walleyes come out of there every year, and they come out in numbers too.

Waxy

goldscud · #18 11-25-2009, 02:49 PM

Pretty typical fish from Duck for the last couple of years. They are OK but they are WAY skinnier than they used to be. They use to be twice that deep. Good numbers of 16-18"ers, but there is very few Trophy fish (over 5lb). Definately not enough food around any more. Not sure it's worth the $100 and the drive. Alberta lakes have more to offer.

rustynailz · #19 11-25-2009, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waxy

Ft. Peck Reservoir is on my very short list of MUST fish lakes in the near future. There's some stunning walleyes come out of there every year, and they come out in numbers too.

Waxy

I don't know what you expect ice fishing to be, but lemme tell ya...Fort Peck is a different experience.

The regs are unreal...6 tipups per guy, live bait, barbed hooks allowed, and you only have to check the tipups once per day. Most of the good fish we caught there were caught overnight. Most of the time is spent driving from spot to spot checking gear. You dump two or three rigs in each spot, and drive another quarter mile to the next likely place.

The worst thing about the place is the distances between fishable spots - you need quads to rip around and check gear, and there are places where the ice goes from 36" to 3" over 20 yards. We fished one day in 6 degree celsius weather in driving rain and managed to put the quad through the ice with three guys on it. Definitely not my favorite icefishing memory. The next day was minus 10 and howling wind. The tipups have a nasty tendency to freeze solid overnight.

I did, however, put my hands on a 35 1/2" walleye that another guy caught, and we caught some unreal pike. The size of the fish there is incredible. You'll be driving across the ice, and all of a sudden you see a 3 foot high pile of filleted carcasses. There are tons of lake trout, pike, walleye, sauger, and saugeye.

Hell's Creek Marina is a really nice place for the middle of nowhere, and if you can hook up with someone who knows where to set up and jig all night (and how to get there safely) you'll have the trip of a lifetime.

Piker · #20 11-25-2009, 04:20 PM

Every year they have a derby on Flathead Lake near Polson to catch as many lake trout as you can. It runs for quite a while as last years winner caught something like 680 fish. Apparently they consider lake trout as competition to the kokanee. I cant remember where I read the article but it is true. I will check further. Piker

Waxy · #21 11-25-2009, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rustynailz

I don't know what you expect ice fishing to be, but lemme tell ya...Fort Peck is a different experience.

The regs are unreal...6 tipups per guy, live bait, barbed hooks allowed, and you only have to check the tipups once per day. Most of the good fish we caught there were caught overnight. Most of the time is spent driving from spot to spot checking gear. You dump two or three rigs in each spot, and drive another quarter mile to the next likely place.

The worst thing about the place is the distances between fishable spots - you need quads to rip around and check gear, and there are places where the ice goes from 36" to 3" over 20 yards. We fished one day in 6 degree celsius weather in driving rain and managed to put the quad through the ice with three guys on it. Definitely not my favorite icefishing memory. The next day was minus 10 and howling wind. The tipups have a nasty tendency to freeze solid overnight.

I did, however, put my hands on a 35 1/2" walleye that another guy caught, and we caught some unreal pike. The size of the fish there is incredible. You'll be driving across the ice, and all of a sudden you see a 3 foot high pile of filleted carcasses. There are tons of lake trout, pike, walleye, sauger, and saugeye.

Hell's Creek Marina is a really nice place for the middle of nowhere, and if you can hook up with someone who knows where to set up and jig all night (and how to get there safely) you'll have the trip of a lifetime.

I'd never even contemplated ice fishing there, not something I'd be interested in really.

But after seeing some of the fish that have come out there, both when "The Next Bite" guys were there and some of the combined tournament weights, along with what I've read and seen on the net, that is definitely a place I want to launch my boat! The challenge and experience of spending a week or so there learning a stretch of the water and landing a few of those hogs would be sweet.

Waxy

P.S. The lax regulations kinda bug me, if you've got a fishery like that, you'd think they'd do a little more to protect it and keep it world class.

#22 11-25-2009, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waxy

I'd never even contemplated ice fishing there, not something I'd be interested in really.

But after seeing some of the fish that have come out there, both when "The Next Bite" guys were there and some of the combined tournament weights, along with what I've read and seen on the net, that is definitely a place I want to launch my boat! The challenge and experience of spending a week or so there learning a stretch of the water and landing a few of those hogs would be sweet.

Waxy

P.S. The lax regulations kinda bug me, if you've got a fishery like that, you'd think they'd do a little more to protect it and keep it world class.

The regulations are the least of Fort Peck's worries. The draw down on that reservoir in the past dozen years has been criminal.

Newspeak · #23 11-25-2009, 07:55 PM

I wouldn't be heading there expecting trophy Rainbows, but it's a nice place to relax and fish. Still a few big ones in there, and certainly lots of decent ones.

Worth the $100? Depends on why you go. I go because I have friends that frequent there, and it's a gorgeous place to visit. Otherwise, I would probably not leave the country to fish for Trout.

fishing101 · #24 11-25-2009, 08:12 PM

I have been to Peck a number of times fishing. If you are going there make sure everything is tied down good road can be a bumpy road. The water is up i think something like 15-20 feet this year. Everything looks the same, but if your going there try the bass fishing can be amazing in the spring and the fall. There is also salmon in there as well. The accomidation are good have gas there. I think it is like 136 miles long. It can be really deep but one of the best areas is called the narrows or bone creek.