Fishing Report For Lake McDonald, MT

Current Fishing Report: Good

Westslope Cutthroat Trout are popular here, and are a favorite of both fly fishing enthusiasts and spinning gear anglers. The diet of these cutthroat trout consists of insects, small fishes and crustaceans. Locals report the need to match the hatch with dry flies or streamers when fly fishing, or use small spinners, imitating minnows, to tempt them into biting. Fly fishing is not covered in this website, but cutthroat trout are being caught on plenty of other lures and bait.

WINTER. When Winter set in cutthroat trout move. away from the bank to deeper water during the day. Early risers are having the best success just after sunrise. Jigging spoons and jigs tipped with bait are catching nice cutthroat, out of 40 to 60 feet of water. Occasionally these cutthroats will drop to around 100 feet deep.

SPRING. As water begins to warm in early Spring, cutthroat trout move from their winter holding areas into shallow, warmer water - 15 to 40 feet deep. They seek our incoming water from snow-melt runoff. Generally, cutthroats will be drawn to these areas to spawn in clear, shallow water. Most cutthroat will be caught early in the morning or late afternoon. The spawn usually occurs in April or May. A wide variety of small spinners and spoons are catching most of the fish. Later in Spring trout are caught 15 to 40 feet deep.

SUMMER. Once Summer is here to stay, the warmer water drives cutthroat deeper, 30 to 60 feet deep. They seek out deep holes near shallow-water feeding areas. Fishing is best from dusk, throughout the night, and early in the morning in 10 to 30 feet of water. Popular areas include drop-offs along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, and the mouth of Fish Creek to Apgar Bay. Trolling, using downriggers or leaded line, and drift fishing with bait, produce the majority of bites.

FALL. Cooling water temperatures again draw rainbow trout shallower. Anglers are catching them 10 to 30 feet deep on points,ledges, rocky structure, humps, and anywhere baitfish are gathering. Now that they had a full summer to grow, there are some bragging size cutthroat catches fairly often. Small spinners, spoons, miniature crankbaits and swimbaits are catching cutthroat, as are salmon eggs and prepared baits.

Current Fishing Report: Good To Very Good

Kokanee salmon spend the vast majority of their life suspended in open water.. Currently the use of new technology is helping anglers catch more kokanee. Forward-facing, and side scanning, sonar is assisting anglers in locating and catching these roaming salmon. Catch rates have improved, especially when they hold in deeper water. Once located, these tasty salmon are being caught in good numbers while trolling, casting or jigging. Dodgers, snubbers, hoochies and downriggers are helping anglers catch more fish. Trolling speeds from 0.9 to 1.5 mph are catching the most fish.

WINTER. In Winter, kokanee school up and hang out over deep water, most often above some type of structure. Their ideal water temperature is mid to low 50's. Identify the depth for that temperature range, and the kokanee will be hanging out in that depth range, usually in 50 to 60 feet of water. Worm harnesses and wedding ring spinner setups are popular when trolled behind a 4" dodger. Locals are tipping these baits with shoepeg white corn, PowerBait, Z-Man Scented ShrimpZ, or live nightcrawlers. Experiment with depth, starting around 40'. Trolling these baits between 1.2 mph and 1.8 mph is a good speed for these kokes.

SPRING. During Spring, kokanee typically move closer to the surface where phytoplankton blooms become more abundant, providing a rich food source. Kokanee will feed heavily on this plankton in 10 to 20 feet of water, until surface temperatures reach the high 50's. Kokanee then stage around 20 to 40 feet deep focusing on schools of baitfish. Look for them in tributary mouths, upper river arms, and warmer, food-rich pockets as they begin to move toward spawning reaches. The main basin is usually the top area in late Spring. Casting or trolling spinners, spoons, or kokanee rigs works well during this period.

SUMMER. Downriggers or leaded line are the two primary methods for catching kokanee here, while trolling. Kokanee school up and hang out in 30 to 60 feet deep, sometimes over even deeper water, usually above some form of structure. The ideal water temperature is mid to low 50's. Identify the depth for that temperature range, and the kokanee will be hanging out in that depth range. In Summer, good numbers of kokanee come from above structure in the main basin. They are often caught in shallower water, early mornings and evenings around flats and points. Worm harnesses and wedding ring spinner setups are popular when trolled behind a 4" dodger. Locals are tipping these baits with shoepeg white corn, PowerBait, Z-Man Scented ShrimpZ, or live nightcrawlers to helps attract bites. 35 to 40 feet deep is the ideal depth to work in these warmer months. Trolling these baits between 1.2 mph and 1.8 mph is a good speed for these kokes.

FALL. In early Fall, kokanee gather in 8 to 30 feet of water around creeks mouths, as well as 15 to 30 feet deep on points and flats, and ledges along channel breaks. Kokanee spawn in tributaries, or on gravel shorelines, some use McDonald Creek or the lake outlet as spawning area. Later they migrate towards spawning grounds, along the shoreline, or upstream around tributaries. In the weeks prior to the spawn, they gathered in sizeable schools near the mouths of these inflows. The spawn typically occurs in mid to late September or early October. Casting or trolling spinners, spoons, or kokanee rigs works well during the spawn. Once late Fall arrives, these schools will move out to deeper structure in the basin, where they are caught in 40 to 50 feet of water, often suspending above structure.

Current Fishing Report: Good

The use of new technology is helping anglers catch more rainbow trout. Forward-facing, and side scanning, sonar is currently the best way to locate trout, especially when they school in deep water. Rainbows are caught trolling, casting or jigging, once located on these sophisticated fish finders.

WINTER. Now that Winter has sets in, jigging spoons, and jigs tipped with bait, are catching nice limits of rainbows out of 40 to 60 feet of water. These baits work well around the old river channel in the main basin, near the dam, and along deep channel troughs. Trolling with leaded line or downriggers, or vertical jigging with spoons and jigs, have been the best approach during the early, cold-water season. Slowly worked offerings are more likely to attract bites in this cold water.

SPRING. As water begins to warm in early Spring, rainbow trout move from their late winter holding areas to 15 to 30 feet of water. A good number of rainbows are typically caught from mid morning to late afternoon, during the warmest water of the day. Shallow flats and rocky structure are quick to warm in the afternoon sun. Submerged structure along the north shore, around the Going-to-the-Sun Road pullouts, and the Apgar area points, coves, and flats adjacent to deep water are popular in Spring. Late Spring finds them feeding in 10 to 20 feet of water, after they spawn. A wide variety of small spinners, spoons and bait are catching most of the fish.

SUMMER. Once Summer is here to stay, the warmer water drives rainbow deeper, 50 to 60 feet deep, occasionally deeper. Early and late in the day they feed around 10 to 15 feet deep. Trolling the main basin with spoons, spinners and crankbaits, using downriggers or leaded line, and drift fishing with bait, are currently the most productive methods. In summer trout commonly suspend above the thermocline, above humps, deep channel edges and mid-lake structure. Following drop-offs into deeper water, along structure or creek channels, is a major key to getting bites. Anglers fishing from the bank are using nightcrawlers or Berkley PowerBait, with fairly heavy weights on a Carolina rig, to get baits in deeper water.

FALL. Cooling water temperatures in the shallows, draw rainbow trout out of deeper Summer depths. Anglers catch them 10 to 30 feet deep on rocky banks, wind-blown points, and flats. Rainbows feed on deeper rocky structure, humps, and ledges, anywhere baitfish are gathering. Now that these trout have had a full summer to grow, there are some nice size rainbow to be caught. Small spinners, spoons, jigs, miniature crankbaits and swimbaits are good choices, as are salmon eggs and prepared baits. Later in Autumn, they move into 25 to 40 feet of water.