Canyon Ferry

[Jezz]

Anyone have any insight into best accessible ramps/campgrounds coming from Bozehole with a 24' boat? I have maps, but just looking for anyone's experiences and places they like to go best. If you want to PM me instead feel free.

Also, any insight into the fishing there for those eyes is much appreciated. Never fished for them. Will be rolling the covered wagon into Bozehole near the end of the month and after all the work with moving I am looking forward to some lake fun before elk/lope season starts.

TIA

 

[Ben Lamb]

As I said in my im, I'm not a big Canyon Ferry fisherman, but the ramps there should be okay. It is a highly utilized area.

I would say check out the hunting on the WMA as well. Big game is a permit, but Upland and waterfowl can be good there. Hopefully Fin and some of the other walleye guys can get you hooked up with the goods.

Good luck, and welcome to Montucky. We all hope you brought your own woman and your own job.

 

[Jezz]

We all hope you brought your own woman and your own job.

HA! Unfortunately for the ladies of MT I did. :hump:

 

[Big Fin]

The best boat ramp is at the Silos. When you come down Highway 287 from Helena, a few miles south of Winson you will see the Silos Bar, right next to the two old brick Silos. Hang a left there. If coming from Bozeman, go through Townsend and about six miles north, you will see the same.

Great ramps, loading docks, etc. The lake is at high pool. Drove by yesterday and there were a lot of boats out. Try the south end, near where the river dumps in. There are huge mud flats that have mayflies emerging as the water warms. All kinds of fish are there eating the mayflies, or eating the smaller fish that are feeding on the mayflies.

The lake is not nearly the walleye lake it was five years ago. Lots of 10-12" fish. An occassional 28"+ fish shows up. Not much between 14" and 24".

Best way to fish those big flats is to pull crankbaits. You will see some rock dikes on the east shore, which are Ponds 1, 2, and 3. You will then see one rock dike on the SW shore, which is Pond 4.

Troll off those dikes anywhere from 12 - 16' of water. I usually troll at 1.8-2.0mph. I zig-zag all over, knowing my outside baits speed up and my inside baits slow down during a turn. If they are hitting the faster bait, speed up . If they are hitting the slower bait, slow down.

I usually have my baits about 3' off the bottom. Walleyes usually hold pretty close to the botton. They will rise to hit a bait, but good luck getting them to come down to a bait.

We use Polywogs (Rattle Tots) and Wiggle Sticks (Little Rippers by Reef Runner). Any color works, so long as it is greenish with some sort of perch or frog pattern. Lots of guys use Shad Raps, also. Those are way easier to tune and get running correctly.

As the water warms, the fish start migrating north, which should be anytime now. Normally, the last week of June is when the fishing on the south end starts to die down as the fish move north. Given the high water and cold spring, I think that is delayed a couple weeks this year.

Once they start moving north, hit the points on both sides of the lake, mostly north of the Silos. Most guys like to use bottom bouncers and spinners, or jigs and crawlers for that kind of fishing. I still use cranks, just pulling them along the shore, with the bait nearest shore kicking up some sand on the bottom and the outside bait suspended down to about 16-18'.

Good luck. Hit is on a week day if you can. Weekends are full of recreational boaters and tons of fishermen.

Watch for floating debris. With the high water, there is some serious junk in that lake right now. After it hangs in the lake for a week, it gets waterlogged and hangs just at the suface, making it hard to see unless it is a glass calm day. Some of those are big enough to ruin your lower unit.

 

[Jezz]

Great info thanks Randy. Just what I was looking for. Looking forward to the new adventures, not that I was bored in ID by any stretch. But have to look at the positives. Hopefully meet some of you Bozeholians one of these days. Again thanks for taking the time to give me some excellent info.