​Echo Lake:
Largemouth Bass has slowed down try jigs with craws down deep and deep swimming crankbaits.  Smallmouth have been hitting swimbaits, Texas rigging and square bills. Perch fishing around the weed beds try Pete’s tackle, Pike fishing around the weed beds try spinners swim baits and large bait.
 
Thompson Lakes:
Perch fishing has slowed down try small jigs and Pete's tackle.  Trout fishing around the shore line in the morning and in the middle of the lake in the PM. Trolling with spinners, spoons and shallow running crankbaits.

​Flathead Lake and Sloughs:
Lake Trout are starting their spawn. Trolling and gigging near rocky outcrops.  Whitefish are in the river, try small tube jigs, and Pete’s craws.  Perch fishing has picked up in the sloughs.
 
Lake Koocanusa:
Salmon fishing around Rexford try trolling with wedding rings 30 to 40' for jigging use Hailey’s.  For the big Rainbows in the early morning troll with Berkley Flicker shad, and Lyman lures.

Local food pantries across the state are preparing to receive donations from the Hunters Against Hunger program. The program, a partnership between FWP and the Montana Food Bank Network, allows hunters to donate a portion or all of their legally harvested big game animals to be processed free of charge. The meat is then provided directly to a local food pantry in the area.

Since its inception in 2014, over 130,000 pounds of meat has been donated through the program and distributed to Montanans struggling with food insecurity through 29 local food pantry sites. Meat is extremely expensive for food pantries to provide, yet a highly nutritious resource for their clients.

“We have never in my time here had this much game. Truly a huge gift,” said Jill Holder, operations manager at Gallatin Valley Food Bank, about the impact of the program.

Participation by local meat processors and hunters are the keys to success for this growing program. Big game donations (deer, elk, antelope, moose and wild buffalo) can only be accepted as part of the program by authorized participating meat processors set up around the state. Only legally harvested or confiscated big game animals can be donated. No road kill can be donated. A full list of authorized processors can be found at the Montana Food Bank Network website at mfbn.org/hunters-against-hunger

To offset the cost of processing, hunters purchasing a Montana hunting license are given the opportunity to make a monetary donation to this program. Additional donations to the program are being accepted by the Montana Food Bank Network.

​Optics are an instrumental tool to the avid hunter. Your day can hinge on your ability to find an animal on a distant mountain face. Or determine the size of the bull elk on the next ridge at first light. Or identify the rutting whitetail buck that’s chasing a doe your way across the cornfield. As you no doubt know, the scenarios are endless.

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Flathead Lake and Sloughs:
Lake Trout, trolling with cut plugs, flat fish and spoons.  Jigging with tube jigs and cut bait.  Whitefish are in the river, try small tube jigs, and Gitzits.  Perch, fishing has picked up in the sloughs.

Flathead River:
USGS Columbia Falls:  Discharge: 3770 fps.      Water Temp: 51 to 58.
North Fork: The upper run is getting a little bony but fishing good with dry flies, nymphs and terrestrials.  Stimulators, hoppers, ants, caddis and mayfly patterns.

Thompson River: 
USGS Discharge: 159 fps
Water flow is getting low for fishing. Small dry flies, and terrestrial (hoppers, ants, use caddis for moths). For streamer fly fishing use muddler minnows. Browns and Rainbows are moving up from the Clark Fork.