The ice fishing Montana boards are sponsored by:

Author Topic: Canyon Ferry  (Read 2872 times)

Offline crappie_attitude

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 315
  • Gotta' have more cowbell
Canyon Ferry
« on: Feb 04, 2007, 04:19 PM »
Hi guys...I am from Pennsylvania and spent two weeks in Montana back in 2000 fly fishing between the Yellowstone in Livingston and the Missouri near Wolf Creek....ah, memories  ::).  I drove past Canyon Ferry Lake many times and always wondered what species could be caught thru the ice there and if anyone seriously fished it thru the winter. 

Offline meandcuznalfy

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 4,213
Re: Canyon Ferry
« Reply #1 on: Feb 04, 2007, 08:18 PM »
trout, walleye, perch, ling, lots of people on the ice when I went by today.

Offline meandcuznalfy

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 4,213
Re: Canyon Ferry
« Reply #2 on: Feb 05, 2007, 04:39 PM »
Quote
Been doin any fishin meandcuznalfy?
Some, not alot. Beenh taking the kids to Spring Meadow here.

Offline FishN4Eyes

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 162
Re: Canyon Ferry
« Reply #3 on: Feb 07, 2007, 12:39 PM »

The Hole in the Wall is on the Silos side of the lake between the Silos and WhiteEarth.

Most people usually access it via the Silos and follow the shoreline up about halfway to White Earth, probably about 2-3 miles N of the northmost boat ramp at the Silos.   If you come from White Earth, you have to go around Roundtop (it's pretty obvious which knob is Roundtop) and continue South for about a mile.

Some people have been driving rigs up there, but that's for the brave.   There are a couple of really large pressure ridges that a guy should be aware.

I know that a few walleye are being caught there in addition to some good perch.

Hope this helps.  Incidentally, we did really well about 1.5 miles directly out from Duck Creek during the derby (heading across the lake toward the Hole in the Wall) so you might want to consider that as an option.

Good luck if you make it out.
FLAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Offline FishN4Eyes

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 162
Re: Canyon Ferry
« Reply #4 on: Feb 08, 2007, 10:15 AM »

Jigmaster5000,

We've always done the best at Duck Creek.    You don't have to go very far out either.

Not sure how familiar you are with DC, but when you come down lower Duck Creek Road you'll follow the main road to the lake.   Once you hit the lake bear left (south) along the beach and drive all the way out onto the point.   There will be a bay back to your left, but if you walk straight out from the point across the mouth of the bay 400 yards or so, you should be in fairly good shape.    There is a lot of sunken trees in the area and the ling seem to like it there.   

There is a cemetary to the south and we like to go about 400-500 yards directly out from that if you get there in the daylight.   It's a good landmark. 

We've done well in there quite a few times and it doesn't seem like you have to be way out there like you do for perch.

Definitely a night bite, we always use tip-ups with dead minnows/smelt/herring/suckermeat ect.   The greasier, smellier the better and not more than a foot to 18" off the bottom and even less.

Hope this helps a little and good luck if you make it, Sat's weather looks pretty good, we're going to hit Holter, I think.
FLAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Offline FishN4Eyes

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 162
Re: Canyon Ferry
« Reply #5 on: Feb 08, 2007, 10:41 AM »

Jigmaster5000,

Biggest one we've ever caught was a little of 6 lbs.

You pretty much want them a min. of 3 lbs to make it worth your time.   Not much meat on them, but it's pretty tasty stuff.   We usually throw anything under that back to hopefully grow larger.

The dykes have been on fire for trout, the water is very shallow down there and the trout seem to really like it.   Not much for trout myself, but they usually are very good sized and fun to catch through the ice, just watch your poles closely we've lost two already this year.  Never have caught a trout on deadbait, but did catch a trout last weekend on Tiber on a live shiner. 

Holter has a few ling, but I've never done exceedingly well there for those guys.  Mostly we're after perch and possibly a walleye.   The 'eyes are usually tough to catch throught the ice but we'll probably jig a jiggin' rap while perch fishing.

Holter has excellent trout fishing almost all year, if you like those guys you should definitely try it after the ice goes off, it's usually on fire.   I heard they were doing well through the ice this year also.

Good luck and I'll post a Holter report on Mon.
FLAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Offline Icejigs

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 189
Re: Canyon Ferry
« Reply #6 on: Feb 09, 2007, 09:11 AM »
Take I90 to junction 287, go north to first turn off to lake. Watch the ice, can be frozen to bottom. It's hard on blades.

Offline FishN4Eyes

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 162
Re: Canyon Ferry
« Reply #7 on: Feb 12, 2007, 10:16 AM »

Fished CF on Sunday, 2/11.

Went on the ice at Duck Creek and went straight out.

Did very well on perch.

We caught 46 between 3 of us and kept 35.  Caught on smallish ling.

Atleast 25 of them were over a half pound, with biggest one being an even lber.

Caught three over .9 lbs and most over .7 lbs.

Could have used them for the derby!
FLAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Offline FishN4Eyes

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 162
Re: Canyon Ferry
« Reply #8 on: Feb 12, 2007, 11:36 AM »

Jigmaster,

Good effort on the big ling.

That's a hog for CF.

A buddy caught a four and half pounder yesterday a.m. so maybe they're starting to come around.

Can't wait for next weekend!
FLAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Offline jig-jig THUMP

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 350
  • IceFishinFool!
Re: Canyon Ferry
« Reply #9 on: Feb 13, 2007, 04:05 AM »
Nice ling JigMaster!

I used to fish Canyon Ferry when I lived in Bozeman a few years back.  My biggest ling came from the Duck Cr area.  Kinda recall heading out on the ice southwest toward the Silos on the far shore.  Out maybe 1/2 mile and there was all kinds of debris down there.  I figured they were maybe old trees and/or house foundations from before the reservoir was built.  Anyway I hooked a 7.5lb hog ling there one time.  Was all I could do to get him in up with the 4lb test perch outfit I was jigging with.  I remember being too far from my sled to grab the gaff so I hollered over to a guy walking by to ask him to grab the gaff and help me out.  That fish won the weekly "BigFish" contest that the Silos Restaurant used to run (owner was Ernie I think), the prize being a dinner for 2 there.

Yeah those were some fun times on Canyon Ferry.  I hope you guys realize how good you have it out there hunting and fishing in MT. 

PS- We got on some nice sized perch fairly often around those trash piles of Duck Cr.  I bet they still hang out there from time to time.

jjT
   
Happiness is watching the blip rise to the bait on my Vex!

Offline austinw

  • IceShanty Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 4
Re: Canyon Ferry
« Reply #10 on: Feb 14, 2007, 10:15 PM »
nice ling jigmaster
never been ling fishing before....... going to give it a shot this weekend. Any tips????? Bait??? Depth??? i heard goose bay wouldn't be a bad choice.... has anyone heard different? And what might i do to have a better chance at walleye? First time to CF since i was little, anything will help. thanks

Offline austinw

  • IceShanty Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 4
Re: Canyon Ferry
« Reply #11 on: Feb 15, 2007, 07:16 PM »
Thanks alot jigmaster......... ill give it a shot and let you know next week how we did.

 



Iceshanty | MyFishFinder | MyHuntingForum
Contact | Disclaimer | Privacypolicy | Sponsor
© 1996- Iceshanty.com
All Rights Reserved.