Fishing Reports

161 reports totalpages: 1 2 3 4 ... 27 Next >>
Missouri River - January 22nd, 2012
  • Recorded:
  • Mostly sunny
  • 35 ° F 
  • Fishing: Good
What a difference a couple days make.  We went from sub-zero to fishable winter weather.  I chose a spot in the canyon and worked the water for several hours on Sunday.  Fish will take streamers on the 2 hand swing in the right water. Active fish for the swing are typically just behind shelves and in the tailouts of deeper runs.

Nymphing deep buckets is very good. If you find a concentration of fish and you want numbers, they are there for the hooking.  Be sure to handle your catch carefully and don't hold fish out of the water in icy conditions. Tight Lines!
 
Missouri River - January 19th, 2012
  • Recorded:
  • Frigid
  • 0 ° F 
  • Fishing: Poor
The Missouri is a great winter tailwater fishery. Just not today. By Saturday, conditions will warm enough to fish up near Holter Dam, but expect icy waters below Craig. Winter has finally arrived and you will need to pick your days.
 
 
Pend Oreille River
and Tributaries - January 3rd, 2012
  • Recorded:
  • Partly cloudy
  • 34 ° F 
  • Fishing: Fair
Fishing on Pend Oreille has been tough latley.  Not many fish are being caught right now trolling...and there is hardly any ice on the big lake right now, so ice fishing is also tough.  The Clark Fork River and tribs have been producing some fish...but not many.  The lake temp was around 38 degrees yesterday.  At least is was a beautiful day to be on the water.
 
Missouri River - January 2nd, 2012
  • Recorded:
  • Windy
  • 45 ° F 
  • Fishing: Great
New Year’s Day weather cooperated quite well. Lots of fish were being landed by all. All the bends were full of anglers. The weather has been a little windy but it’s pretty hard to complain about an above freezing day the first of January in central Montana. Swung streamers in slow moving water produced quite a few fish early on in the day (pre-lunch time). In the afternoon, we mostly reverted to the nymphing game. If motivation would have set in, there were quite a few fish feeding on sub surface midges and a few on top as well but there were def. enough fins seen to attempt the dry fly. A still day would make it very motivating. Nymphing worked well. Anything pink or orange was producing. Spring Creek Scud, DLH, Soft Hackle Ray’s, Firebeads, T.C.’s and pretty much the entire selection from The Good, the Pink, and the Firebead. Fred did well swinging some sparse white colored bunny streamers as well. The weather is still good, and now that’s it’s now New Year’s Day and most are back to work the river is wide open. The Bloch is north of Holter today and we should hear a good report on that tomorrow.
 
Missouri River - December 29th, 2011
  • Recorded:
  • Windy
  • 49 ° F 
  • Fishing: Excellent
In mid December I received an email from my friend Dale Smith in Colorado wondering if I had any guide openings on the 26th or 27th of December. I giggled a little and checked my calendar. Sure enough I was open either day. After going back and forth on which day to fish we decided the wind was going to blow less on the 27th. We met in Craig and sure enough the wind was only gusting to 25mph. Not too bad considering what I am listening to as I type. I launched the RO I strapped on a #18 Fire bead Sow bug with a Zebra dropper and a fire bead Ray Charles with some other orange-headed creature for a dropper. The weather was unseasonably warm and the wind was letting us play. I rowed to the wire (without gloves on) and quickly realized I am out of shape. Within a few casts Kyle boated a nice Bow. The takes right now are very subtle so the anglers sharpened there senses and after a bit proceeded to put a pile of nice fish in the boat. Slow, inside water was the key to our success. We switched gears at the Bull Pasture and tied on streamers. I suggested a slow tight retrieve and sure enough it worked. We finished the day with several nice steamer fish and a few we would have liked to inspect a bit closer. The bugger of the day was a white Marabou Clouser fished painfully slow. What a great day to wrap up the year! Thanks to Dale and Kyle for braving the weather and making it a great day.
 
See you out there!
 
Brian
 
Missouri River - December 27th, 2011
  • Recorded:
  • Windy
  • 35 ° F 
  • Fishing: Excellent
Pretty tough to beat fishin on the Mo right now.  Fished with Tristen yesterday up high and put around 2 doz in the boat and lost a handful of others.  Granted most of the fish being caught up higher are planter fish that came through Holter this year, but they're still fun to catch.  We did land some really nice, clean river fish too.  Talked to a guy who was fishing for walleye at the launch and he was getting frustrated catching bow's every cast (I tried to let him know thats not a bad thing for this time of year, but he thought I was crazy).  The fish are pretty stacked up together right now, so if you catch one anchor up and run a few more drifts through the hole.  Nymphs are pretty hard to beat, but fish are also hammerin streamers in froggy water.  Go get it while the weather cooperates.

Flies de jour: grey and tan rays, anything with a firebead on it, sows in tan and pink, scuds of all colors, egg sucking leeches, smaller muted buggers.

Cornfed
 
Stream Flows
  • Missouri River below Holter
  • Flow (cfs): 5400
    Temperature (°F): 34.34
  • Smith River bl Eagle Cr nr Fort Logan MT
  • Flow (cfs): Ice
    Temperature (°F): 32
  • Dearborn River near Craig MT
  • Flow (cfs): Ice
    Temperature (°F): 32
  • Sun River at Simms MT
  • Flow (cfs): Ice
    Temperature (°F): 32
  • Beaverhead River at Barretts MT
  • Flow (cfs): Ssn
  • Big Hole River near Melrose MT
  • Flow (cfs): Ice
    Temperature (°F): 32
  • Bitterroot River near Florence MT
  • Flow (cfs): n/a
  • Blackfoot River near Bonner MT
  • Flow (cfs): 532
    Temperature (°F): 32
  • ST JOE RIVER AT CALDER ID
  • Flow (cfs): Ice
  • COEUR D ALENE RIVER NR CATALDO ID
  • Flow (cfs): 1170
  • ST JOE RIVER AT CALDER ID
  • Flow (cfs): Ice
  • SELWAY RIVER NR LOWELL ID
  • Flow (cfs): 912
  • CLEARWATER RIVER AT OROFINO ID
  • Flow (cfs): 2640
    Temperature (°F): 33.98
  • CLEARWATER RIVER NR PECK ID
  • Flow (cfs): 4310
    Temperature (°F): 37.22
  • LIGHTNING CREEK AT CLARK FORK ID
  • Flow (cfs): 117
  • KOOTENAI RIVER AT BONNERS FERRY ID
  • Flow (cfs): n/a
    Temperature (°F): 37.22
  • MF SALMON RIVER AT MF LODGE NR YELLOW PINE ID
  • Flow (cfs): 487