Cold temps give ice anglers a head start

We’ve been given the gift of early ice fishing even before Thanksgiving. Because of this early cool down it opens the potential for possibly many of the bays on Flathead Lake to freeze.

With the huge amount of forage fish now all over the lake, mostly perch and whitefish, it should draw many of the post-spawn lake trout into shallow water.

There are already lake trout showing up in East Bay where there appear to be huge schools of perch. The problem we’ve been finding is that the small perch are so quick and numerous that the larger perch don’t get a chance to get caught.

Right now the safe ice puts us in about a depth of two-and-a-half feet. This type of fishing is great fun for kids. Nothing like a positive experience of good clean fun to propel your child into a lifelong interest that will help save them from all the mentally unhealthy pastimes offered these days.

My brother and I hit Turtle Lake Sunday, Nov. 20, but with only mediocre results. Next time I’m going to spend some time searching around. This small lake offers perch, largemouth bass, a few crappie, a few pike and an occasional trout and sunfish.

Crow Reservoir is even more of a smorgasbord of fish, including brown, rainbow and a few brook trout, large and smallmouth bass, perch, pike, suckers, bull heads and pike minnows. Johnny crappie seed hasn’t made a showing there as yet. A Wana-B Setup will work well there for multiple species. Maggot or nightcrawler or both are the best bait.

Smith Lake west of Kalispell is giving up large numbers of pike, 20 inches and over. Also, predictions are that the next state record perch will come from there.

If anyone would like to share a fishing report give us a call at 406-675-0068 or my personal cell is 406-250-0241.