Bass Fishing in Montana

Saturday, 07 April 2007

While it’s true that a large number of Montana locals think of catfish, paddlefish, walleyes and trout as the main fish targets, the bass fish, especially the largemouth bass is fast becoming popular as game fish. And why not? The largemouth bass feeds on practically anything that is offered to him and puts up an incredible fight. It is strong, stubborn and unyielding, which makes for spectacular angling action.

One of the best places to go for bass fishing in Montana is Fort Peck Reservoir. This reservoir’s shoreline extends over 1,700 miles over many points and bays. The smallmouth bass is particularly abundant here, as well as perch, lake trout, northern pike, cod and the Chinook salmon.

Another reservoir that is an excellent producer of bass is Craft Reservoir, located in Carter County. The largemouth bass was planted in this reservoir in 1968 and catching bass weighing up to four pounds is not uncommon. Yet another reservoir for bass fishing is the Dan Hanghian Reservoir, located in Custer Country. 2-pound bass are available here. Bass can also be found in the Libby and Kootenai River area.

Perhaps one of the best places to fish for bass in Montana is the Noxon Rapids Reservoir. Considered the best bass fishery in the state, this Reservoir rests about 2,330 feet up as part of Kanisku National Forest. It is approximately 30 miles long, has a maximum depth of 160 feet and 2 miles wide. Aside from the abundant largemouth and smallmouth bass available, the reservoir is also the home of the rainbow, brown, cutthroat and bull trout as well as the northern pike, yellow perch and mountain whitefish. This Reservoir is also responsible for hosting the most number of bass fishing tournaments every year. In fact, this is so popular that it is also the home of many Bass Western States tournaments. On some days, the water levels rise up to three feet so boaters and anglers need to be aware of areas where there are stumps, logs or rocks that may lie just below the surface. Boaters have also reported of encounters with floating debris in the high waters at night during nighttime.

Perhaps the only drawback about fishing in Montana is that fishing there is only good for about six months. The rest of the time, the weather gets too cold for anglers, especially those in Northern Montana. When it’s not too cold, the run-off takes another three or four months to die down.

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