Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Gage Marsh holds up a northern pike he caught while fishing Fort Peck Reservoir with his brother Colt and grandfather Timothy on Sunday.

It’s been two whole weeks since I last went fishing.

My brain has ground to a standstill. Any leftover reserves of creative juices I had are now bone dry.

As I read and copy edit stories, the letters on the page start to turn into bubble trails or seams where I need to land my fly.

My conundrum reminds me of an episode of Seinfeld. When George and Elaine were both celibate for an extended period of time, George becomes a genius while Elaine devolves into a simpleton.

In this case (and I am surely not alone), my vice is fishing and I fear my withdrawal symptoms are eerily similar to Elaine’s. I apologize in advance if you wave to me on the street and I respond by simply staring off into space.

For the sake of my family, coworkers and my own wellbeing, I think I need to suck it up and drop my line in the water – soon.

I promise to drag myself out of bed this Sunday at 5 a.m. and be on the river by 6:30 a.m.

At this point, not only is it the logical thing to do; it’s the right thing to do.

Beaverhead River — The Beaverhead continues to be one of the shining stars of the state. Nymph anglers have been the most productive with PMD imitations getting eats from large fish. Evening caddis dry-fly fishing has also been excellent. Folks have also begun to fish terrestrials with some success. Head hunters can find fish eating PMD dries, but this hatch is expected to taper off. Last week, anglers focused on the upper-most portion of the river but we expect the whole river to fish well with flows stabilizing. — Frontier Anglers, Dillon.

Fort Peck Reservoir, dam area — Fishing has been excellent and it’s almost impossible to beat the variety. Salmon, lake trout, bass, walleye and northern are all on the chew. For salmon you’ll be running downriggers to about 60-105 feet or as low as 120-160. Lures such as Beavis trolling flies, 406 tackle flies and various flashers should do the trick. Lakers have been cooperating for those who can get down to the 100-130-foot range and fish close to the bottom with flat fish, spoons and herring rigs. Bass are aggressively eating jigged minnows or crawlers pitched near rock piles. Walleye are biting in that classic 16-25-foot range, eating worms and leeches attached to harnesses and spinner blades. Northern are mixed in with the walleye, but those targeting the slimy predators are having luck casting spinnerbaits, crankbaits and spoons over weed beds and trolling crankbaits. — Lakeridge Lodging & Bait Shop.

Noxon Rapids Reservoir — Fishing has been good to great. A variety of species have been landed when fishing near deep rocky cliffs or weed beds. Pike are being caught in 10-15 foot of water outside of weed beds on large swimbaits and inline spinnerbaits. Trout are still being caught at the mouth of some of the feeder creeks. There are walleye to be had using bottom-bouncing rigs in 30-45 feet of water. Perch are biting near weed beds. Bluegill and sunfish are on the chew in the shallows. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass are biting during the early mornings on top water and later on a variety of soft plastics. For the bass, pull up next to a rocky cliff or shady area near the main lake or near the dam. The water is clear and the surface temperature 79 and climbing. — Lakeside Motel and Resort.

Ackley Lake — There haven’t been many detailed reports, but the trout bite is still steady. — Sport Center, Lewistown.

Big Hole River — The fishing has remained good and the best times are early or late in the day. Tricos are starting to come off in the mornings and spruce moths have made their appearance for the year. Hoppers, ants and beetles are around, and can get the attention of hungry trout during most of the day. A jig Frenchie, Spanish bullet or Perdigon is a great choice for a dropper off a bigger fly. Fish cooler water in the shade if possible, and remember to check the water temperature and stop fishing at 68 degrees. — The StoneFly Fly Shop, Butte.

Bighorn Lake, Ok-A-Beh — The smallmouth bite is still good. They’ll slam top-water plugs during the morning. During the heat of the day the bite has slowed down a tad, but you can still get fish on crankbaits and paddle-tail swimbaits. A few walleye have been caught, but the anglers did not reveal their successful strategy. — Scheels, Billings.

Bighorn River — Catching is really starting to heat up. Guides and anglers have seen decent amounts of fish responding to black caddis and PMDs. The expectation is that things will only get better during the coming days. If you’re searching for rising fish, the late afternoons and evenings have been best. Some trout are still looking up for hoppers. It’s not a numbers name, but some big fish are being caught. Nymphing has been solid from Afterbay to Bighorn. Sowbugs and scuds in the morning, and PMD and Caddis pupa in the afternoons has been the name of the game. — Bighorn Angler, Fort Smith. 

Bitterroot River — Hoot-owl restrictions are in effect on the whole Bitterroot (excludes east and west forks). The river is closed to fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight. The ’Root has been so-so over the past week. Hatches are sparse other than a few PMDs, and the floating is not great with log jams in most sections of the river. Wade fishing is a much better option, but you’ll need to strap on your boots and be ready to cover some ground. Fish are eating terrestrials right now. Small hoppers in the 12-14 range and a PMD nymph dropper, like a dark Perdigon, jig PT or Spanish bullet, is a good setup. Have a few PMD dries with you for the sippers. A Comparadun, rusty spinner, PMD spinner or brindle chute in a size 16-18 should get the job done. — Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula.

Blackfoot River — The Blackfoot continues to fish well, albeit with not many hatches going on right now. There are a few PMDs and pseudos out but for the most part, trout are transitioning to terrestrials for their meals. Hopefully we will see spruce moths soon. Hoppers, ants and beetles, as well as attractor dry flies like royal Wulff’s, Stimi’s and hippy stompers. A hopper-dropper with a tan, red, pink or peach hopper and a Perdigon, Jig Prince, rubberlegs or San Juan dropper is the way to go. A deep dropper is key when the sun is high and no clouds present to offer protection. Lots of tubers are going out in the afternoons so make sure to go early to beat the crowds. — Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula.

Boulder River — The Boulder has been steady. However, flows have dropped below what is traditionally considered ideal for floating. For those who prefer to walk and wade, life is good. — Sweetcast Angler, Big Timber.

Canyon Ferry Reservoir — Walleye continue to be the fish of choice for most anglers and they have been rewarded with great catches. Walleye, perch and rainbows are all being caught on bottom bouncers, slow death rigs and crankbaits. Most action has been mid-reservoir around White Earth and Goose Bay, or between Ponds 3 and 4 in the river channel. Pink, yellow and chartreuse are the best colors with worms or leeches working equally well and the fish going deeper during the day. Shore fishing has been slow for all species. — FWP, Helena.

Clark Fork River, Missoula — The Clark Fork from Flint Creek upstream to Warm Springs is currently operating under hoot-owl restrictions. Fishing is closed on that stretch from 2 p.m. until midnight. The Clark Fork is fishing well in the early morning to early afternoon. Later in the day the water is warming up too much for good and safe fishing. There are some PMD spinners falling and a rusty spinner or PMD spinner in a size 16-18 with a drag-free drift will get those sippers. Hopper-dropper is another great way to go right now with size 12-14 hoppers and a PMD nymph or nocturnal stone dropper, like a rubberlegs, 20-incher or explosion stone. Nocturnal stones fished in the early morning with a twitch will get some violent strikes. — Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula.

Clark Fork River, Upper — Terrestrials like hoppers, ants and beetles can be very effective this time of year on this stretch of the Clark Fork. Nymphing with Spanish bullets, Perdigones, scuds, zebra midges and caddis pupa should be great. No matter where you fish, have a thermometer and check water temps. Stop fishing at 68 degrees. — The StoneFly Fly Shop, Butte.

Flathead Lake (North) — The whitefish bite has been inconsistent with mostly smaller fish being caught. There is better fishing to be had down south. — Chancy and Dave’s Fish Camp.

Flathead Lake (South) — Fires and closures in the area haven’t – logistically speaking — affected the fishing. Anglers can still access parts of the lake where a majority of fish are being caught around Big Arm. The whitefish bite has been a little more hit-and-miss, while the lake trout bite has remained consistent. The lakers seem to have moved back into deeper water, so downriggers will be needed to get into that 45-70-foot depth. The lake trout that have been caught reportedly have stomachs full of 4-inch whitefish. So any trolling lure you have that resembles a small whitefish is an excellent bet. Perch are also still on the chew. They’re eating perch eyes, maggots and scuds in about 30-35 feet of water. — Zimmer Bait and Tackle, Pablo.

Fort Peck Reservoir, Big Dry Arm — This area is seeing some of the better fishing its seen this season. Folks have reported lots of big walleye with some northern pike mixed in. — Rock Creek Marina.

Fresno Reservoir — The bite is mediocre to slow. As walleye tend to do, the ones caught have been had by crawlers and leeches. — Roberts Bait & Tackle, Great Falls.

Gallatin River — The catching has been superb. Guides and anglers have all been running chubbies, caddis or sallies for the top bug. Behind that fishing various Perdigons, iron sallies, tungsten split-case PMDs, hare's ears, prince nymphs and stoneflies, will do the trick. If you are still chasing salmon flies, there may be the occasional, sporadic hatch in the park but that hatch is passed for the most part. PMDs have still been spotted hatching just below the canyon. Golden stones will continue to hang around throughout the canyon as well. If you want to go dry or die, fish a chubby as your top fly and an x-caddis or missing link caddis as your dropper. Also be aware of hoot-owl restrictions. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Georgetown Lake — Damsels are still around in the mornings with a few big caddis in the evening. Smaller parachutes like purple haze, ants and attractors will also work. Leeches, damsels nymphs, Carey specials, sheep creeks and still-water nymphs are always good options. — The StoneFly Fly Shop, Butte.

Glacier National Park — Upper Two Medicine and Grizzly Medicine are excellent places to start. Old Man Lake and Red Eagle Lake are also great options if you don’t mind trekking the extra miles. Royal Coachmans, parachute Adams, egg-sucking leeches, black zebra midges, prince nymphs and renegades should do the trick. Those who have acquired the permits to fish Bowman Creek are experiencing phenomenal fishing. Royal Wulffs and renegades will be the first bugs out of your box in the Bowman area. As always, be prepared with the required permits and verify that your destination is open. Be prepared with a Plan B in case things go awry. — Arends Fly Shop, Columbia Falls.

Hauser Reservoir — A few rainbows are being caught at Riverside below Canyon Ferry Dam and from the Causeway Bridge using crawlers and a marshmallow or a floating jig. Trolling cowbells and spinner combinations between Black Sandy and the Powerlines during the early morning hours is producing a few rainbows as well. Some walleye have been picked up in 15-30 feet of water, mostly during the late evening hours around Eldorado Bar, in the Causeway Arm and around Dana’s Point. Most walleye anglers are using various jigs, slip-bobber setups with leeches, or trolling bottom bouncers with white or orange spinner blades and crawler harnesses. — FWP, Helena.

Holter Reservoir — A few rainbows have continued to bite at the lower end of the reservoir during the early morning hours while trolling cowbells with a spinner combination and a crawler around 25 feet down in the water column. Walleye and perch fishing has been good in 20-30 feet of water during the morning or late evening around weed beds and points throughout the reservoir. Most anglers are using various jigs, slip bobber setups with leeches, or trolling bottom bouncers with white, chartreuse, or orange spinner blades. Some nice kokanee were landed on the lower end of the reservoir while trolling Dodgers or flashers tipped with a spinner and shoepeg corn in deep water during the early morning hours. — FWP, Helena.

Lake Frances — Walleye are eating leeches and crawlers fished while drifting. — Roberts Bait & Tackle, Great Falls.

Lake Koocanusa — The rainbow trout fishing is slow. In the coves you might catch fish in the 6-16-inch range. The kokanee are biting down around 15 feet and are hitting on silver and brass flashers while trolling around .8 to 1 mile per hour. — Koocanusa Resort and Marina, Libby.

Lake Mary Ronan — This fishery is closed due to fires in the area. — Zimmer Bait and Tackle, Pablo.

Madison River, Lower — The lower is pretty hot so be on the watch for high water temps and stressed fish. There are better options in the area currently. If you really want to fish the lower, fish it in the morning when the water temps are at their lowest, pinch your barbs, keep the fight short and keep those trout wet. Fish a dry-dropper with a chubby or a stubby chubby, and behind that throw small flashy nymphs like Nymphicators, Perdigons, caddis pupa and iron sallies. Even with all the precipitation this year, hoot-owl is still in effect. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Madison River, Upper — The upper has been fishing great. Chubby droppers have been working well. Try orange, pink and copper in sizes 8-16. Wooly buggers and small attractor nymphs have been working great as a dropper. There are a lot of caddis out as well. When you spot those bugs hatching, try missing link, X caddis or elk hair caddis, size 14-16. Golden stones, yellow sallies and PMDs will be your other options throughout the river. If the fish aren’t looking up, streamers can also be a good option especially if you are looking for a trophy. Try a yellow mini dungeon or sparkle minnow when the sun is out. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Marias River — Catfish and sturgeon are both eating night crawlers. Cut bait has also yielded decent results. — Roberts Bait & Tackle, Great Falls.

Middle Fork of the Flathead River — Probably the most important thing to remember about this time of year is that 5x and sometimes 6x tippet – or 5x fluorocarbon – will be necessary to get a bite. A purple haze should be the first fly out of your box. Trout have also been chasing black Wulffs and black gnat parachutes. Chartreuse and red madam Xs have produced a few eats as well. Terrestrials are around, but it isn’t abundantly clear whether or not fish are keying in on them yet. Make sure you’re on the water by 8 or 9 a.m. because the bite has been shutting off during the afternoon hours. — Arends Fly Shop, Columbia Falls.

Missouri River, below Holter — With the warm temperatures those pesky weeds have entered the equation, making it that much more difficult to achieve a perfect drift. Trico hatches are now a common occurrence. As we plunge deeper into the dog days of summer, it is recommended to get to the river early. That way you’ll be in time for the bug hatches and hopefully done fishing before the float tubes get going. If the tricos are coming off the water, a size 18-22 spinner fall fished near the bank would be ideal. For subsurface fishing, dry-droppers fished near the banks have been producing. Popular bottom flies have been various Perdigons as well as green machines in sizes 14 and 16, and a variety of PMD imitations. For top flies, film critic and extended body PMDs have gotten a lot of eats. Corn-fed caddis, double-duck caddis, purple Parawolfs and royal chubbies have worked as well. When fishing bigger, deeper water a nymph rig will work better than the dry-dropper. Terrestrials have also started to show up in increasing numbers. If the fish are keying in on those, parachute ants, foam beetles and hopper patterns would be effective. Flows on Wednesday were running at 4,360 CFS. While there aren’t restrictions on the ’Mo, water temps are climbing into the high 60s approaching 70. So be aware and stop fishing during the heat of the day. — Montana Fly Goods, Helena.

Missouri River, Fort Benton — The fishing has been almost the same as the Marias. Catfish and sturgeon are eating night crawlers, and cut bait has also been productive. Walleye and sauger fishing is slow. — Roberts Bait & Tackle, Great Falls.

Nelson Reservoir — Walleye are still being caught but it’s getting to be more difficult. Pulling a bottom bouncer and a crawler harness in 18-25-feet of water should produce a bite or two. — Hardware Hank, Malta.

Pishkun Reservoir — A few northern pike have been landed recently. Successful anglers have been using smelt and herring. — Roberts Bait & Tackle, Great Falls.

Rock Creek (East) — Dry-dropper setups with various terrestrial patterns as the top fly has been the ticket. Hoppers, beetles and ants should get the ball rolling for the top fly. Size 12 pink hoppers have been the most popular of those choices. The water is still about a foot higher and a little faster than it usually is this time of year. Your go-to holes might be gone, but if a spot looks fishy then it’s probably holding fish. — East Rosebud Fly Shop, Red Lodge.

Rock Creek (West) — Rock Creek is fishing well and although the water temps are rising, the overnight lows are keeping the water chilly during morning until early afternoon. We should start seeing even colder nights as we get into August. There are spruce moths out in some spots. Be armed with Miller’s moth, MFC moth and Andy’s moth. Other terrestrials to have if you don’t see spruce moths are small hoppers, ants and beetles. Galloup’s ant acid, fat Angies, Amy’s ant and fat Alberts are good bets for your top bug when using a dry-dropper. Hang a size 16-18 jig PT, jig prince, dark Perdigon or Spanish bullet off the back, or under an indicator if you don’t see any rising trout. — Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula.

Spring Creek — The hopper bite is on in Big Spring Creek. Mornings and evenings are better with the heat. Nymphs are still producing if you prefer that method of angling. — Sport Center, Lewistown.

Stillwater River — Catching has been good. A dry-dropper with a purple chubby or chubby Chernobyl on top with a Perdigon off the back has been the preferred method. Pipe update: government officials are aware of the pipe sticking up out of the water and flipping boats near Jeffery’s Landing. Right now it’s a matter of verifying that there is no gas actively flowing through the pipe, at which point it can be removed. — East Rosebud Fly Shop, Columbus.

Swan Lake — People are holding out hope that things turn around, but the bite has remained slow. — Zimmer Bait and Tackle, Pablo.

Yellowstone River, Big Timber — This stretch of the ’Stone has been great for both dry and wet fly anglers. Golden stones, hoppers and streamers are good candidates for first flies out of the box. — Sweetcast Angler, Big Timber.

Yellowstone River, Columbus — Fishing has picked up a little bit, but the bite hasn’t gotten back to where it was before the flooding. Trout are eating hoppers, so a chubby Chernobyl will be the first fly out of the box for most anglers. If the fish aren’t coming up, a big prince nymph or swinging a streamer can also get some eats. — East Rosebud Fly Shop, Columbus.

Yellowstone River, Livingston — The dry-dropper is starting to produce on the ’Stone as the visibility improves. For the dry-or-die angler, a chubby or hopper and a caddis behind it has been producing chases and eats. X-caddis or missing link in size 14-16 have been working great. Streamers can be a productive option right now with the low visibility. Black and olive will do the trick, but a sparkle minnow can also produce if the sun is shining bright. For nymphing, a caddis pupa or small flashy Perdigons have been working. The rainbow Spanish bullet or caddis pupa have been popular recent purchases at local shops. — Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman.

Bighorn Lake, Horseshoe Bend — The walleye have been biting along the sauger just south of the Montana border. Catfish and sauger have been caught in Crooked Creek Bay along with bass and a few crappie. The South Narrows have been consistent for 4-8-pound catfish and bullheads. — Horseshoe Bend Marina.

Matthew Kiewiet is the managing editor for the Montana Standard and writer for frontpagebets.com. Email him at matthew.kiewiet@mtstandard.com or follow him on Twitter @mattkiewiet406.

Get local news delivered to your inbox!

Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

A judge sentenced a Butte man to 10 years in the Montana State Prison on Wednesday for assaulting a Town Pump employee and leaving him floored and covered in blood.

Winning the jury meant showing that any reasonable person would have quit under the conditions the trooper's supervisors imposed on him, attorney Karl Knuchel said.

"I urge the Montana Supreme Court to reconsider its role in light of Dobbs and return policymaking to the Legislature," Gov. Greg Gianforte wrote in a tweet.

A single presumptive case of the virus was found in an adult in Flathead County.

Over the last week, Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, who heads the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, was one of the most vocal backers of the legislation.

The woman gained access to the roof of the high school gym with two other people.

Republican-drawn maps of proposed Montana House districts would likely yield supermajorities for the state’s dominant party.

"We love motorcycles, too. We want to make sure our women are safe, our communities are safe, and that the Indigenous people who live here are acknowledged.”

“Creating treatment opportunities in rural Montana is critical to diverting folks from the criminal justice system," Corrections Department Director Brian Gootkin said.

Gage Marsh holds up a northern pike he caught while fishing Fort Peck Reservoir with his brother Colt and grandfather Timothy on Sunday.

Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.