Author Topic: Montana destination lakes (Read 3820 times)

Spey_Ice · « **on:** Dec 27, 2014, 02:20 PM »

So just curious to know what everyone thinks the 10 best ice fishing lakes are in Montana?...I would put my list on here but I haven't even ice fished ten different Montana lakes yet.

PerchAssault · « **Reply #1 on:** Dec 27, 2014, 02:52 PM »

#1 has to be PECK! (And I haven't even fished it yet thru the ice)

Spey_Ice · « **Reply #2 on:** Dec 27, 2014, 02:54 PM »

Ha I'm almost positive peck will get number one

Wenger · « **Reply #3 on:** Dec 27, 2014, 04:20 PM »

Peck. When you pull in 'just another 10 pound northern' it becomes obvious.

Plus you have more water than you could fish in a lifetime and never know what a jigged minnow will produce from perch to bass to crappie, walleye, sauger, pike, laker, brownie, catfish, ling (might have missed some).

The place is actually world class not just the best in MT.

Bucket Brigade · « **Reply #4 on:** Dec 27, 2014, 05:05 PM »

Flathead Lake! State record lakers, jumbo perch, bulls, rainbows, whitefish, pike, and the view beats everything!!!

Fortpeck1 · « **Reply #5 on:** Dec 27, 2014, 09:20 PM »

Here is my list,
1. Fort peck
2, Newlan creek
3. Nelson
4. Ruby res
5. Canyon ferry
6, Pishkin.
7, Mary ronan
8. smith
9. Bynum
10Browns

Wenger · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 27, 2014, 09:26 PM »

Well, well, well....

Hell Creek just posted this recently I see.

http://www.montanaoutdoor.com/2014/12/outdoor-channel-dubs-fort-peck-as-americas-best-ice-fishing-lake/

For me it would be a toss up between Peck and Devils Lake for world best, DL for safe ice and huge numbers of fish especially big perch and eater walleye. Peck for size and remoteness. That ice always deserves special care.

iceholer · « **Reply #7 on:** Dec 28, 2014, 06:00 PM »

Quote from: Fortpeck1 on Dec 27, 2014, 09:20 PM

Here is my list,
1. Fort peck
2, Newlan creek
3. Nelson
4. Ruby res
5. Canyon ferry
6, Pishkin.
7, Mary ronan
8. smith
9. Bynum newlan creek over nelson
10Browns

NordicJigger · « **Reply #8 on:** Dec 29, 2014, 03:10 PM »

Quote from: Fortpeck1 on Dec 27, 2014, 09:20 PM

Here is my list,
1. Fort peck
2, Newlan creek
3. Nelson
4. Ruby res
5. Canyon ferry
6, Pishkin.
7, Mary ronan
8. smith
9. Bynum
10Browns

Some great western lakes in there, but I think Fresno needs to be in there as well. For the most part, none of my go to reservoirs are on the list and I am just fine with that.

walleye warrior · « **Reply #9 on:** Dec 29, 2014, 04:24 PM »

If we all fished the same lakes it would be very crowded.
I like these lakes because I do really good there.
I usually fish Peck for 10 days in Febuary.
Newlan is my ling go to spot.

kdfish · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 02, 2015, 07:48 PM »

wonder why no one says the tongue res but then again I fish it more than the others

Wenger · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 02, 2015, 08:23 PM »

Quote from: kdfish on Jan 02, 2015, 07:48 PM

wonder why no one says the tongue res but then again I fish it more than the others

I'd guess it's because Peck is closer for most and you don't have to detour through WY...and nobody gets skunked ever, the average size bigger. Can't beat TRR for spring crappie on the fly though.

bob.diertay · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 06, 2015, 04:07 PM »

I can't believe Georgetown wasn' t mentioned

BigSage · « **Reply #13 on:** Jan 06, 2015, 07:09 PM »

Quote from: bob.diertay on Jan 06, 2015, 04:07 PM

I can't believe Georgetown wasn' t mentioned

Because a 6" Koke, and a 12" rainbow aren't really magical

Cranker · « **Reply #14 on:** Jan 06, 2015, 07:33 PM »

Here is my list (notice all of them are walleye fisheries)

1. Fort Peck
2, Tongue River Reservoir
3. Fresno
4. Nelson
5. Tiber
6. Pishkun
7. Lake Francis
8. Canyon Ferry
9. Holter
10. Dredgecuts below Fort Peck

klamathkp · « **Reply #15 on:** Jan 06, 2015, 07:46 PM »

Quote from: BigSage on Jan 06, 2015, 07:09 PM

Because a 6" Koke, and a 12" rainbow aren't really magical

I wouldn't say that is true of Georgetown. The majority of Kokes I catch are 10 to 12 inches. And I've caught a lot of big rainbows and brook trout in that lake.

missoulafish · « **Reply #16 on:** Jan 06, 2015, 08:07 PM »

12" chrome silver from Georgetown lake in Montana?

klamathkp · « **Reply #17 on:** Jan 06, 2015, 09:46 PM »

I suppose you are probably right. 12 instead average as much as it happens. ...10 inch is average there. To answer your question, yes I have caught 12 inch before.

BigSage · « **Reply #18 on:** Jan 06, 2015, 10:02 PM »

A 10" Avg. in Gtown???

missoulafish · « **Reply #19 on:** Jan 06, 2015, 10:11 PM »

I've fished it for decades and I doubt I've seen a 12" non spawning koke in there but who knows. Always an exception everywhere

JayHelfrich · « **Reply #20 on:** Jan 07, 2015, 11:28 AM »

Quote from: missoulafish on Jan 06, 2015, 10:11 PM

I've fished it for decades and I doubt I've seen a 12" non spawning koke in there but who knows. Always an exception everywhere

In the summer of '94 I spent almost the whole summer up there fishing out of an old row boat. I caught several 16" Koke's jigging the springs just past Dentons Point out from the pull out. I had 3 trees I would triagulate and then row out till I got out in the weed beds and found the open holes in deep water (~15'-20' if I remember right) and dropped anchor. I would fish from 6 or 7 PM till 1 or 2 AM with a lantern and a radio. Typical rig was a Mack's glo hook tied 12" above a Swedish Pimple. Caught mostly trout on the glo hook and majority of the salmon on the pimple. Lost and broke off some BIG trout back then. I kind of broke myself on smoked fish that summer. I caught and smoked so many salmon that I couldn't give them away anymore cause everyone I knew had a dozen in their freezer and I couldn't even eat anymore. Not sure how many remember but back in the day you could snag a 5 gallon bucket full of salmon (legally) in under a half hour in front of the pump house in September and October.

Jay

vicster · « **Reply #21 on:** Jan 07, 2015, 11:49 AM »

Cranker, Pishkun a walleye fishery? I've never heard of them in there and I used to fish it a lot.

MTWALLEYE · « **Reply #22 on:** Jan 07, 2015, 06:03 PM »

Here is my list... I think.

1. Fort Peck
2. Fresno
3. Tiber
4. Beaver Creek
5. Pishkun
6. Francis
7. Canyon Ferry
8. Holter
9. Hauser
10. Georgetown

Cranker · « **Reply #23 on:** Jan 07, 2015, 08:10 PM »

Vicster,
You are 100% correct. Mainly pike fish on Pishkun. Good catch.

fishin7 · « **Reply #24 on:** Jan 07, 2015, 09:11 PM »

Probably get more responses if it were top 5 destination lakes. I bet most guys haven't been on 10 lakes during ice season. With that being said.....

1) Fort Peck (obviously)
2) Cooney
3) Nelson
4) Tongue River
5) Canyon Ferry

Have never fished Tiber, Fresno or Francis. But they all sound like lakes I would like as well, just cant ever see myself driving that far when I can just go to Peck!

coldcreekchris · « **Reply #25 on:** Jan 07, 2015, 09:20 PM »

jay..great nostalgia....a 16 inch koke in g town...musta been a great season....over the yrs I have run across the big 11 inchers late in the afternoon...silvers... .coming thru in 2's..maybe 5's.....but the last decade or so the biggest koke I've ever run across was pushing 13 inches.. all spawned out with a hooked jaw.....maybe when you hit those 16 inchers was whithin a yr or 2 from the hatchery stock....a 16 inch koke would weigh close to 2 lbs.....haven't ever seen that in all my yrs fishin g town....glad you saw it....can't imagine a 16 inch koke there..unless planted...ever again...

Wenger · « **Reply #26 on:** Jan 07, 2015, 09:34 PM »

Quote from: fishin7 on Jan 07, 2015, 09:11 PM

Probably get more responses if it were top 5 destination lakes. I bet most guys haven't been on 10 lakes during ice season. With that being said.....

1) Fort Peck (obviously)
2) Cooney
3) Nelson
4) Tongue River
5) Canyon Ferry

Have never fished Tiber, Fresno or Francis. But they all sound like lakes I would like as well, just cant ever see myself driving that far when I can just go to Peck!

No matter how many times we try Cooney it always does a wonderful impersonation of Daily...black with a white stripe.

vicster · « **Reply #27 on:** Jan 07, 2015, 10:47 PM »

Cranker, I was wondering if the bucket biologists hadn't made a visit there. They killed off Bynum to turn it back into a trout fishery but "Gangsa Perch" video a couple of years ago had a big spawner female that cruised by so there are probably a few more in there now. It's a fun fishery though, some of the biggest perch I have ever caught and a few gators now and then. Clearest ice I have seen anywhere too, I've walked out and been nervous about ice thickness and then drilled a hole and there was 10 inches. Just like glass.

Cranker · « **Reply #28 on:** Jan 07, 2015, 10:56 PM »

There are some big trout too! A number of years ago we were throwing big spoons in the shallows and I had the biggest bows' I've ever seen (10+) come up and cream the spoon at the boat....missed the trebles on the hookset. Watched her swim back down to the bottom. One of the coolest memories I have on Piskhun even though I didn't get to feel her on the end of my line!

fishin7 · « **Reply #29 on:** Jan 08, 2015, 08:27 AM »

Quote from: Wenger on Jan 07, 2015, 09:34 PM

No matter how many times we try Cooney it always does a wonderful impersonation of Daily...black with a white stripe.

Seems most people feel the same way but I can honestly say in the last 2 to 3 years I have never had a bad day on Cooney. And I fish it ALOT!

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Author Topic: Montana destination lakes (Read 3820 times)