Montana Fish Report

Anglers continue to catch rainbow trout at a good pace. The lake is getting warm, so anglers targeting trout will need to fish deeper or fish early or late in the day. Trolling a wedding ring spiked with a piece of worm or Gulp worm behind an oval egg sinker can produce very well at Lost Creek.

Some of the trout have external parasites called copepods. Fish parasites generally do not pose a threat to humans when fish are cooked, and copepods can be scraped off prior to cooking. Anglers are encourage to keep fish that have copepods while staying within the daily limit, since release simply allows the parasite to expand to other hosts.

Fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass has been good, with anglers catching some good-sized largemouth bass. Anglers can target bass by casting lures around rocky or woody structure or among the flooded willows.

Both boat ramps are available. The reservoir surface temperature is 71oF but will likely increase with this weekend’s expected warm temperatures. For the most current Lost Creek Reservoir information, call 1-800-472-2434.