Helena area fishing report 5/15/2012

   Stream fishing in Montana opens Saturday, May 19th. The local streams around Helena are running a little high but the anglers using spinning gear should do well with Panther Martins or worms on two way spinners. Fly fishermen will face a greater challenge but a large beadhead nymph should produce in the swollen streams.

The Missouri River between Holter Dam and Craig is producing very well. Anglers have reported success fly fishing and spin fishing. There have been some Mayfly  hatches already with the warm weather we have had and anglers able to match the hatch have been rewarded with some very nice rainbows.

Park Lake is now ice free and accessible. As usual at this time of year the Grayling are on a feeding frenzy and will eat most small beadheads fished slowly along the edges of the lake.

The walleye action around Helena continues to be sporadic. Some anglers have reported success on the South end of Canyon Ferry but most have struggled. The most consistent action seems to be below the 3 dams on the Upper Missouri. Fisherman working jigs or crankbaits in the last minutes of daylight have reported success below the dams.

The Kokanee Salmon in the Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir have been responding to a wedding ring tipped with white corn and trolled behind a small cowbell. The reservoir has filled up so launching a boat is not a problem.