08/31/2026
HELENA AREA FISHING REPORT 8/31/26
🎣Canyon Ferry 🌊
South End continues to be fishing strong. It’s still a bottom bouncer bite, but there are murmurs of a crankbait bite going on. With the cooler nights, the water is going to be a more comfortable temp for the walleye. Pink, blue, fire tiger and black/gold for worm harness colors. Perch, black/gold and crawdad patterns for crankbaits. 1.0mph range for bottom bouncing and you can push up to 2.5mph for cranks. Mid Lake is still being temperamental, but fish are also being caught on the same baits as the south end. The North End is fishing very well, keeping in consideration it is the North End. Quantity is not what you’re after when fishing the North End. It’s all about the quality! Jerk baits are the hottest bait by far; mainly fishing the metallic silver or gold. Cast in 5’ to 15’ of water and work it aggressive, but slow. Use a series of two to three jerks then a long pause. Alternate if you want. 3 jerks, pause, then 2 jerks.
The rainbow trout are also enjoying the cooler nights. Trolling in between White Earth and the Dam is going to be the main stretch. 10’ down to 35’. The shallow water fish should respond well to a smaller, deep diving crankbait like a Berkley Flicker minnow. For the deeper fish, cowbells would work well, otherwise the bigger rainbows are willing to bite a bigger crank. Green/chartreuse, pink, and blues are good colors to start with and adjust from there.
🛶Hauser🌲
Walleye action is moving to the fall patterns. You can still find some fish in the w**ds, but they are definitely starting to move out on to the rocky points, reefs and shorelines. Fish can be caught throughout the day, but it is definitively better in the evenings and mornings. They are responding very well to jerk baits. Silver, gold or perch patterns mostly. The other effective bait is a paddle tail on a jig head. Perch, Tennessee shad, Ayu colors are my go-to picks. Basically anything that could look like a small perch or minnow. 3” mainly, but don’t be afraid to throw a 4” bait. There can be some action in the Causeway as well. Both casting to share and bottom bouncing in the channel. Black/gold, green/chartreuse or any color with some orange in it are good picks. If you’re jigging I highly recommend tying on a heavy fluorocarbon, steel or titanium leader. The pike are getting very hungry and they are not shy about it, which if you are wanting to target them, now is a great time!
Trout are biting very well by Spokane Bay. Bart had a phenomenal day on marbou and zonker jigs. Perch, neon perch or river sculpin are usually the top performers. So I would work from Eagle Bay down to just past Spokane Bay if you want in on the trout action. Otherwise, from York Bridge to Hauser Dam is a good stretch to troll crankbaits or cowbells. Same colors as Canyon Ferry apply here. I have not heard anything about the kokanee. So either people aren’t catching or they are being very tight lipped.
🌄Holter🦅
The kokanee here are no secret. What they want to bite on that day may be hard to pin down, but it seems people are finding more success than not. The average size has been good, too. Holding around the 2lb mark up to 5lbs. The fish are starting to show the slightest bit of color and jaw structure changes. I suspect soon the big schools will start showing up in the bay South of Holter Dam. For now, trolling is working well with dodgers and a squid or wedding ring behind a snap weight. Chartreuse, hot pink, orange or white are the most common colors. Scented corn is the preferred bait of choice, but some have been preferring standard shoe peg corn and finding success. Catching is still happening at the 60’ mark, but if the kokanee do what they’ve done in the past, 70’ to 90’ should lead to success.
Like Hauser, the walleye seem to be moving more and more out of the w**ds and hanging out on the drop-offs. Work the very edges of w**d beds or in between w**d beds. Like the other two lakes, they are also responding well to jerk baits. It has not been unusual to watch a walleye come from 15’ and bite a bait at 6’ this year. Keep using the metallic silver, gold or a perch pattern. Drop shot with a worm is also effective if they are in a mood and want to stay on the bottom.
Perch have been hit or miss. There are some being caught sporadically through the w**d beds in the canyon and lower Holter. Pinched crawler under a bobber is going to be the most consistent presentation.
That is all the info I have this week to share with you! Of note, the snagging season on the Regulating Reservoir opens Sept. 1st. Also, to everyone showing their appreciation for these reports, thank you! Hope you all catch lots of fish this week!
-Jonathan
