Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Celebrate Mother’s Day with Free Fishing

Give your mom a fish, feed her for a day. Take your mom fishing, give her memories for a lifetime. Celebrate Mother’s Day this weekend on the water. Fishing licenses will not be required May 10 and 11, and the forecast looks fine.

In 2021, Gov. Greg Gianforte signed into law Senate Bill 61, which makes it free for anyone, resident and nonresident, to fish in Montana on Mother’s Day. Montanans have enjoyed free fishing on Father’s Day weekend for more than 10 years.

Here’s a rundown on the latest fishing report for Helena-area reservoirs:

Canyon Ferry:?Rainbows are still being targeted and caught from shore between the Outhouse, Shannon and Kim’s Marina while using leech pattern flies or small black or brown nymphs as well as spawn sacks or worms. Boat anglers are finding success for rainbows throughout the reservoir as the fish are moving offshore. Try using rapalas or flashers to catch some large rainbows.?The Silos area is producing walleyes and rainbows around Pond 3 and the river while using rapalas, bottom bouncers with a worm harness or jigs with a worm.

Hauser:?Good numbers of rainbows are being caught below Canyon Ferry Dam while using nightcrawlers and marshmallows, power bait, spawn sacks, leech pattern flies, or streamers. Trolling flashers or crankbaits out from Black Sandy and the York Bridge area is also producing some trout. Walleye and a few perch are being caught in Lake Helena and anglers have been doing well while trolling bottom bouncers and crawler harnesses with perch-colored spinner blades or various crankbaits. A few walleye are being caught from the Causeway Bridge during the late evening hours while using slip bobbers and leeches or floating jigs tipped with crawlers.

Holter:?There are still a few rainbows being caught around the boat ramp areas, but most have moved out to deeper water. The Gates of the Mountains area, the BLM boat ramp and Log Gulch have been popular spots and fly fishing with nymphs, streamers, leech patterns, egg flies, and using power bait, or spawn sacks is working well. Trolling various flashers or crankbaits on the lower end of the reservoir has been very productive for trout anglers. A few walleye are being caught around weed beds and points while vertical jigging with crawlers or leeches.