Hauser Reservoir
Special Notices & Closures
Fishing Report for the week of 05/04/2026
The walleye bite out on Lake Helena has really turned on recently with the warmer temperatures that we have had. Trolling various crankbaits, crawler harnesses, or using slip bobbers and leeches has been working well. A few perch are being caught with the same equipment. Rainbow fishing continues to be good below Canyon Ferry Dam while using Power Bait, nightcrawlers, or leech and Wooly Bugger flies. Boat anglers are catching rainbows while trolling blue, silver, or brown crankbaits around York Bridge and Black Sandy.
| Size: | 3200.123 acres |
| Elevation: | 3656.46 ft |
| Directions: | Causeway - 7 miles north of Helena on I-15 at mile marker 200, then 5 miles east on Hwy 453. York Bridge - East of Helena on York Road (Secondary 280) 13 miles. |
| Status of the Fishery: | Hauser Reservoir, including Lake Helena, is home to some unique fishing opportunities in the Helena Area. Annually, yellow perch, walleye, and rainbow trout, all spring spawners, draw anglers to the river below Canyon Ferry Dam and Lake Helena. In the river below Canyon Ferry Dam, shoreline anglers do well on the east shore near Riverside Campground (Bureau of Reclamation) and on the west shore, via Eagle Bay Drive, for both rainbow trout and walleye from approximately late March through June. Boat anglers have access below Canyon Ferry Dam via the boat ramp at Riverside Campground and have excellent opportunities for rainbow trout and walleye in the spring from the dam to Spokane Creek Bay. In Lake Helena, its shallow, turbid water allow it to warm quickly in the spring, which draws yellow perch and walleye up from the Causeway Arm of Hauser Reservoir to spawn. Peak spring angling opportunities occur from late March through late May or until increased vegetation growth prevents angling success. Shoreline anglers have success in the spring on Lake Helena at the Causeway Fishing Access Site (FAS) and boat access is limited to the Lake Helena FAS (FAS) boat ramp. Be aware that Lake Helena is very shallow (less than 10 feet deep) and a no-wake restriction is in place most of the year to protect waterfowl production. |
| Township/Range/Section: | 11N 2W 18 |
| Latitude/Longitude: | 46.68427 -111.82107 |
| FWP Region: | Region 4 |
| County: | |
| Fishing District: | Central |
Click on rows to select them for use in other tabs.
| Waterbody | Section | Field Form Type | Date | Purpose | Species |
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To see this data, first select one or more rows from the Collection Info tab.
For Comparative analysis all Length Units are millimeters : all Weights are grams
| Species | Count | Avg | StdDev | Min | Max | AvgWgt | StdDevWgt | MinWeight | S/L | Sects | Surveys | Waterbody |
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To see this data, first select one or more rows from the Collection Info tab.
For Comparative analysis all Length Units are millimeters : all Weights are grams
| Waterbody | Section | Species | Count | AveLength | StdDevLength | MinLength | MaxLength | AveWeight | StdDevWeight | MinWeight | MaxWeight |
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To see this data, first select one or more rows from the Collection Info tab.
For Comparative analysis all Length Units are millimeters : all Weights are grams
| Waterbody | Year | Section | Species | Count | AveLength | StdDevLength | MinLength | MaxLength | AveWeight | StdDevWeight | MinWeight | MaxWeight |
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To see this data, first select one or more rows from the Collection Info tab.
This is a preview, all fields will be visible by selecting a download option. For Comparative analysis all Length Units are millimeters : all Weights are grams.
| Year | Species Abbrv | Length | Weight | M/C | Count | Sex | Mort | Hook Scar | Disease | Scales | Otolith | Fin Clip | Tag | Comment | Genetics | Age | Stomach | Intercept | Slope | Gear | Equipment | Trip | Date | Pass/Run | Water | Section | Lat/Down | Lon/Down | Lat/Up | Lon/Up | Agency | Start Depth | End Depth |
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| Year | Angler Days | Std. Error |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 40332 | 5716 |
| 2020 | 32765 | 5418 |
| 2019 | 38081 | 5321 |
| 2017 | 36948 | 8116 |
View the latest Montana Fishing Regulations.
No Gauging Stations found.
This waterbody has a fish consumption advisory. Please see the link for guidelines.
Fish Consumption Guidelines (PDF)
