NW Montana Fishing - The Hull Truth

Piscator · 01-27-2009, 05:17 PM

We don't have coast, but this is the closest place to post about the last best place.

A couple of friends have send emails asking about big boat fishing (meaning downriggers, planar boards and wirelines) around here. We have three major bodies of water in NW Montana. Flathead Lake 8x30 miles, 125,000 acres and 360 feet deep. Koocanusa, which is really the Kootenai River, damned up to make a lake about a half mile wide, 100 miles long and 200feet deep. Goes up into Canada for the last 40 miles or so. And Hungry Horse Reservoir, which is the South Fork of the Flathead River damned up and backed into the Jewel Basin, part of the Bob Marshall Wilderness. 45 miles long, 1-2 miles across and up to 400feet deep in places.

This report covers two of the three, Flathead and Koocanusa as I have much less experience in Hungry Horse and am not so confident in my predictions. The main (big game) species are Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Bull Trout, Lake Superior Whitefish. These fish run from 5-40 pounds except for Whitefish which run from 3-10lb. Limits in Flathead are 50 Lakers per day per person, and 100 whitefish per day per person. In Koocanusa, it's five Rainbow per day per person, and one Bull per day, max two per season per person.

Mostly, fishing depends on what May and the 1st week of June is like. If the weather turns real warm early, we'll have a heck of season as forage goes nuts and fish do too. Without that hot spell in May and early June, things will get off to a slow start and June won't be all that good in Flathead, but should be good in Koocanusa. July will start picking up in Flathead and slowing down in Koocanusa.

Hot May means both Flathead and Koocanusa peak together in the Month of June. September is good for Lakers in Flathead, and the water should be cooling off so Koocanusa might pick up again for rainbows. Half the bulls will still be there too. Depends on the day temps.

Tough to make plans until what one sees the weather does:

Early Season: June15-June30, or thereabouts. Good activity at Koocanusa (but it will never be like Flathead) 4-6 major hook-ups on Rainbows and Bulls per day. Flathead will be killer if the weather is warm. Big fish (Lakers) and a lot of them. It will be more like Koocanusa if the weather is cold. 6-8 Lakers all day long. No whitefish at all.

Mid Season: July 15-Aug15, or thereabouts. Koocanusa is slower for Rainbows, less so for Bulls, but still several hook-ups per day. Flathead will be prime with Lakers active in all the spots around the lake and in the trench late in the day. Whitefish will be bonkers especially from the end of July on (given no spring perch fry kill). When you're on them, it will be 30-50 per hour for two guys and that's with losing every other one. Cooler filling days in Flathead.

Late Season: Sept 15-Sept30, or thereabouts. If the water temps drop in Koocanusa, the Rainbows should come up and get more active. Half the Bulls have gone North to spawn, the other half are still in the game. Key is water temps dropping to around 60degress or below. Flathead is still active for Lakers in all shoreside locations where water depth runs from 90-150ft. The trench is cooling off partially because the sun is setting much earlier and partly because the main food source is dying off or going inshore to spawn (mysis shrimp). Whitefish are no longer schooled up and most have headed upriver for the winter. Be lucky to even find them.

Late August - Early September is the right time for Bulls to start heading out of the lakes to their spawning grounds, which are mountain streams where the waters get down to about 20-30 feet across and only a few feet deep. Only half the population goes as Bulls spawn every other year. Didn't know that until I caught four in a row in late September in Flathead Lake and called FWP on the cell to ask what the heck?

Whitefish will be gone by then as they taper off big time in the first week of September. Okay by me, I can take or leave them. Though whitefish fight like the dickens, Lake Trout taste better.

Other times in between what I've listed will find fishing conditions mixed.

slief · 01-27-2009, 06:21 PM

Love your area!!! I spent a year in Thompson Falls at boarding school back in '85.. One of the best experiences in my life. Fished all over the Clark Fork from San Point to Missoula and beyond. I go back and visit that area frequently. I fished Flathead lake a couple years back for some nice Lakers. Took my dad on a road trip from Kalispell to Yellowstone and on to Jackson Hole a couple years ago in September. That was a great trip with countless fish caught.. I have some good friends that live in Big Fork on one of the Flat Head lake sloughs.

I'm envious of you! That is gods country and one of the last true frontiers! I never stop looking for property out that way!

Piscator · 01-28-2009, 05:07 PM

Some views:

Hungry Horse Reservoir: Cutthroat Trout & Bull Trout

Flathead Lake: Whitefish, Lake Trout, Walleye

Landlockt · 09-14-2010, 02:47 PM

I just moved up here from Salt Lake and brought my new to me 15ft. Hobie Power Skiff with me. I want to target Lake Trout and Kokanee. I am looking for suggestions on what type of set to use. I am pretty set on using Walker Deeper Divers. Down riggers are cost prohibitive for me.

Piscator · 09-14-2010, 04:29 PM

Howdy,

Welcome to Montana. Lake Trout are taking over your lake according to FWP. Up from 2-3% last year to over 10% this year. Means generous limits. Lucky for you, downriggers are not so needed on Swan Lake because it's not so deep in many sections. Run your divers 30-50ft and you should do fine. Some sort of attractor, like a chrome dodger or flasher with a fly or squid tied 20-30" behind it really helps bring Lake Trout to you. You can also use leadcore line, which is pretty effective. Troll slow, like 1.7 to 2.0 mph. Lake trout don't like to chase a meal. They will sometimes, but you'll do better at the slower speeds. For Kokanee, troll a bit faster, like 2.5mph and on or near the surface using Kokanee Killers or something similar. Kokanee eat zooplankton, so they are going after your lure to drive it away. Kokanee feed at sunrise and sunset, so that's the best time to go get 'em.

Good luck and tight lines.

Rod

Black Water · 09-15-2010, 09:24 AM

Funny you should post this. I am scheduled to take a trip to Montana end of October/beginning of November. We are going up there just to see it (never been)

I'm flying into Kalispell and staying at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake. What are my options for going fishing in the area for a little while(if you are familiar with all that)?

TickleStick · 09-15-2010, 09:37 AM

Awesome! My inlaws have been up in Kila for a couple years now and this summer got a little boat. Not the best setup for fishing but I'm sure they'd like to try at some point. It is absolutely amazing up there!

grgrmouse · 09-15-2010, 03:16 PM

Piscator that thing looks like a Swiss Army Knife!! Love it. Nice report!!

Piscator · 10-01-2010, 05:47 PM

Sorry about the late response. Doing charters and then week of Antelope hunting on the Res over east. Got seven. Last charter was 29th, and probably the last for the season for me. Loading up the Lance camper and headed out to NC for a wedding next Saturday. Won't be back until November most likely.

My outfitter will still be doing the lake though, and his heated cabin Sea Raider is great for cold weather fishing. captnormsfishnfun.com, if your interested. Hope it's okay to the post that.

Hard to get into Whitefish Lake this time of year. They drain it down for winter. Flathead Lake is the place to fish if the wind is kind. If not, it can be a snotty out there.