Author Topic: Winnett Area Ice (Read 5522 times)

TJet Apprentice45 · « **on:** Nov 14, 2011, 04:07 PM »

Spent this last Saturday putting around Winnett.. Payola Res. is 90% froze, not real hard, but with another week or so of cold weather it might be fishable. Yellow Water was still open with LOTS of ducks.

Anyone spend any time on Payola or Yellow Water? We fished both last year and did pretty well on the Trout at YW, the perch at Payola are a Blast!, great place to find #'s and some size if you can stand to fish through all the little ones.

copperjohn · « **Reply #1 on:** Nov 14, 2011, 05:54 PM »

TJ, Welcome to the Shanty. We haven't got a lot of info on that area in the past. Always open to sharing on here. Especially ice reports. Soon you'll be an IS addict. There's a ton of fun on this site, have at it.

chucknduck · « **Reply #2 on:** Nov 14, 2011, 06:29 PM »

Thanks for the info. Been wanting to make it up there gonna have to try them out this year.

TJet Apprentice45 · « **Reply #3 on:** Nov 14, 2011, 06:48 PM »

No problem, looking forward to posting some more info on the north east side of things once hunting and CC football wraps up. There's also Large Mouth's in Payola, they make for a nice change up when you hook into one and it actually pulls back. If you head up early season make sure to take a shotgun as well, there were plenty of Pheasants below the Dam at Payola, (and a couple fewer skunks after Saturday - but watch your step) and Huns along the road on the way in.
YellowWater is a real kick, but make sure your rods are all accounted for and locked down pretty tight, the trout in there get to be pigs and are really good at taking an Ice Rod down the hole with one run.

Robbi · « **Reply #4 on:** Nov 14, 2011, 10:33 PM »

Good info........thanks TJet

MTangler · « **Reply #5 on:** Nov 15, 2011, 08:30 AM »

I have heard many times about payola and would like to head up there this year. Thanks TJet

MTA

Robbi · « **Reply #6 on:** Nov 15, 2011, 09:41 AM »

Great Falls to Winnett is about 2 1/2 hours with good roads.........how far out of Winnett is Payola or Yellow Water?? Is there a place to park a fifth wheel camper at Payola? Electricity?

TJet Apprentice45 · « **Reply #7 on:** Nov 15, 2011, 10:11 AM »

Payola is about 10 Miles straight North of Winnett, There is a nice picnic shelter that you could park next to with a Fifth Wheel but no power plug in. The last 50 yards into Payola is a short steep hill that can get a little western if its icy/muddy. If that's the case you can park up top ( flat area with room to get off the road).

The turn to yellow Water is off the Highway south of Winnett maybe 5 or 7 miles. (sorry I don't remember the name of the road). Good Land Mark, if you are heading North into Winnett on Hwy 244 and hit the Yellow Water Ranch on your Left you've gone about 800 yards to far. Or if you're coming from Winnett South on 244 towards the Hwy 87 Junction look for the Yellow Water Ranch on your right, the turn is the last one on the right just before you head up the hill. It will have a small sign on the right side of the Fence letting you know you're entering Public Lands. The dirt road is in good shape and is maybe 5 or 6 miles to the lake from the Highway. There are several spots to park a Camper there as well, but no plug ins.

If you plan on fishing for the weekend, you can also park it in one of the parking lots in Winnett, most will not mind as long as you're not in the way. Plus breakfast at the Cozy Korner is to Die For

Robbi · « **Reply #8 on:** Nov 15, 2011, 10:26 AM »

Thanks TJet...........and I had Petrolia on my mind instead of Payola so I'm glad I asked.........LOL. When you said north I had to get the maps out.........LOL. But that's great info, Thanks again and welcome to IS.

mthuntr · « **Reply #9 on:** Nov 15, 2011, 12:08 PM »

Shh...you guys are telling all of my "secret" spots.

A little company never hurt though...just remember to share the antifreeze with your fishing neighbor

MTangler · « **Reply #10 on:** Nov 15, 2011, 12:29 PM »

I am also hauling my camper with me this season robbi

parking it in winnet could be a great idea. Hot breakfasts and stiff drinks

Oh and FWI locals aren't too friendly to out-of-towners coming to fishing their ponds. They will be happy to steer you in the wrong direction.

MTA

Krakkon · « **Reply #11 on:** Nov 16, 2011, 02:24 PM »

I was under the impression that yellow water was kinda fished out after the previous year..
I tried a couple times last winter with no luck there. The year before we did well and so did everyone else as far as I know

Payola is great for fast and furious lil perch

TJet Apprentice45 · « **Reply #12 on:** Nov 16, 2011, 02:57 PM »

The times we fished YW last year we seemed to get into the fish, so hopefully they didn't get fished out to hard for this year. Maybe with the high water this year they will have plumped up even more and be ready to eat a jig or two.
it was definately an early morning bite though, they really turned off after about 10am. At that point we headed to payola for Lunch and some fast and Furious perch.

Krakkon · « **Reply #13 on:** Nov 16, 2011, 08:11 PM »

Has anyone ever had much luck at Petrolia in the last few years? i had my boat out there this summer and didnt even mark many fish
we caught a few little perch was all..

last year ice fishing it a few times all we caught was a 4 or so pound pike..

Firetrap · « **Reply #14 on:** Nov 16, 2011, 09:03 PM »

Krakkon I did real well at Petrolia in summer of 2010. I didn't even fish it this year though. Why go there when you can go a little further to crooked creek with all the water?

We caught a ton of small walleye and a few nice half pounder perch only a couple pike though.

A rumor was floating around that yellow water got poisoned this year and most of the fish died. That probably means the fishing was awesome and some jackhole spread that nasty rumor.

TJet Apprentice45 · « **Reply #15 on:** Nov 17, 2011, 07:51 AM »

We hit Petrolia a couple times last ice season and for the most part it was pretty slow. Caught some dink Walleye and a couple 3-4# Northerns. We did see some other people put some decent pike on the ice, but the consensus last year was it was pretty slow.
Petrolia really seems to go in cycles, even more than most lakes. We will go through a couple years that are pretty tough with few fish and the ones that get caught are pretty small, then all of a sudden we'll have a great year or two with some big pike and nice eater Walleye. So I guess we'll see where it's at this year. Most of the locals we talk to up there say the same thing: the earlier you can get on the ice the better.

Lewie · « **Reply #16 on:** Nov 23, 2011, 10:43 PM »

I've fished Petrolia several times through the ice, but its always pretty slow. Didn't make it out there this summer so I have no idea if it was any good. Anyone have a report from this summer? Usually a good early ice trip, just haven't been over there this year.

skunked79 · « **Reply #17 on:** Nov 25, 2011, 04:57 PM »

went to yellow water last year never had any luck smelt like methane gas. when we punched hools and water looked oily. i think it died out last season.

Krakkon · « **Reply #18 on:** Nov 25, 2011, 06:17 PM »

I did hear recently from a pretty reliable source that yellow water did winter kill last year.
I think it was restocked this year though so might be a couple years till some ok fishin again

chucknduck · « **Reply #19 on:** Nov 25, 2011, 11:56 PM »

Any size to the perch in payloa? Or just lots of links? How far of a drive is it from billings?

Krakkon · « **Reply #20 on:** Nov 26, 2011, 07:03 AM »

Mostly just runts with a occasional 10 incher.. Probly about 2 hours from billIngs

TJet Apprentice45 · « **Reply #21 on:** Nov 28, 2011, 07:34 AM »

Lots of Dinks in Payola, but there are keepers in there as well, just got to fish through all the small ones. There are also Large Mouth Bass in there that get t obe keeper size.
It is 95 Miles from Billings to Winnett. Then another 10-12 to Payola straight North out of winnett.

Thanks for the update on YW Krakkon, hope it comes back quick, that has been a really fun lake in the past.

Krakkon · « **Reply #22 on:** Nov 28, 2011, 07:18 PM »

Those trout there grow like wildfire I assume its due to the massive amounts of fresh water shrimp..

chucknduck · « **Reply #23 on:** Nov 28, 2011, 08:48 PM »

Sounds like a good place to take the boy. Dingy perch usually means lots of action. Anyone know about the ice or lack there of

TJet Apprentice45 · « **Reply #24 on:** Nov 29, 2011, 07:21 AM »

Haven't been back up there for a couple weekends now, not sure if Payola kept ice through this warm streak. The Winnett area is supposed to be cooling off this week after today with over night lows in the teens, hopefully that will get it solid again.

Krakkon · « **Reply #25 on:** Nov 29, 2011, 05:16 PM »

Im headed to that area tomorrow to do some coyote hunting ill swing in and attempt to drill a hole...

chucknduck · « **Reply #26 on:** Nov 29, 2011, 06:08 PM »

Drove thru grass range on my way to lewistown for work. Didn't look promising. Some of the ponds had ice so hard to tell

mthuntr · « **Reply #27 on:** Nov 30, 2011, 03:17 PM »

They are nearly all dinks out there. Lots of 4-6 inch fish.

Krakkon · « **Reply #28 on:** Dec 01, 2011, 10:14 AM »

The ice at Payola was im guessing around 2 to 3 inched thick? I didnt walk out on it but that is a rough guess.. It should be fishable in a week or so with the colder weather..
Also ice at crooked creek looks to be forming well also..

TJet Apprentice45 · « **Reply #29 on:** Dec 01, 2011, 10:26 AM »

Thanks Krakkon, that's great to hear about Crooked Creek as well. Now the dilema of Duck HUnting the Horn vs. early fishing ice begins.... Did you find any yotes up there?

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Author Topic: Winnett Area Ice (Read 5522 times)