THE MYTH & MAGIC OF FORT PECK

from Ice Team Digital Magazine | November 2021

EARLY ICE SAFETY

For years the story was written thusly…” Fort Peck is a place where big fish of all species lay in numbers unlike anywhere else, but you are on your own out there, with very little intel or support. If you go, you have to be prepared for anything, and good luck finding anyone that will help you catch “their fish”! And for the most part, that was spot on.

There were only a few places to stay, none with lake access, lesser places to get any info, and services were few and far between. And as for ice fishing, well, Hell Creek Marina and State Park, on the southern edge of the lake and 50 miles of bad road North of Jordan Montana, was really the only place you ever heard of anyone going in the winter. Yes, you had to pretty much figure out Fort Peck on your own, but the one thing was true…the fishing was almost always worth it.

Clam Pro Staffer and acclaimed Devils Lake Guide Jason Mitchell has known and shared about Peck for years. He was always a good source of intel, between his TV show and infrequent articles. And every now and then there would be a report from a tournament there, with guys like Parsons and Kavayecz reporting in. Then around five years ago, the Mindt family came to town.

When the old Lakeridge Motel in Fort Peck changed hands, a paradigm shift happened. With a family of avid outdoors men AND women taking over and getting serious about building exactly what the area needed, they (and myself to an extent) began to quickly put Peck on the map as a more civilized and accessible fishing destination. And ice fishing was a huge part of that plan.

The magic of this area is its remoteness, and the fact that there are opportunities here that rarely exist in even the most infamous Canadian fisheries. The size of the reservoir is intimidating for most, the “where do we even start” mindset can scare many away. The good thing is, where you fish often doesn’t really matter, as the fish are almost literally, everywhere!

Now, don’t take that to mean the numbers are such that you will catch 100 Walleye or Lake Trout in a day, or that you will take home limits of eaters every time out like on some of the other Northern Missouri impoundments. What is does mean is that if you are willing to put the time in, and fish in the likely places, you will experience a combination of action and quality rare in most fisheries, in an amazingly stark but beautiful place.

Walleye to 10 pounds and thirty inches are common here, for those willing to put in the work. Yes, I said common. When you look at the Spring egg takes that the state does every year, you see fish being handled that are the envy of 99% of the trophy walleye fisheries across North America. Lake trout? While we rarely see fish exceed 20-25 pounds, numbers of fish over ten pounds are the norm. And Northerns are everywhere if that is your thing.

The climate can be extremely harsh, and conditions fickle. In 2021, when everyone and their dogs were planning trips to Peck due to being locked out of Canada, our ice season lasted from early February until barely mid-March… at least as far as our deeper water fishery for Lake Trout was concerned, a species most anglers really like to chase in winter. The shallower bays where the Walleye and Northerns tend to hang lasted only a little longer, a Cruel joke Mother Nature, but that is the exception and not the norm.

Typically, our ice season starts in early to mid-December, with bays like Duck Creek, Rock Creek and the Big Dry Arm icing up first. Then by mid-January we start accessing some deeper areas and the Lake trout fishing only gets better through Mid to late March. Some years, we are on the ice until early May. Ice on Peck, at least once outside the shallow bays, is rarely consistent enough to safely drive trucks around the lake, so towing larger wheelhouses is rarely an option. ATVs are the norm, as snow cover rarely justifies snowmobiles and lack of snow on shorelines will create problems for access. Wheels and tracks rule, as do portables, but the wind is often blowing so securing your shelter is a must!

One of the most unique things about Fort Peck is our method of fishing. Each angler is allowed six lines in the winter, one of which can be a spear. Having four or five tip ups fishing for Walleye or Northern while jigging deep for Lake Trout, or sitting in the spear house, really helps up the odds for exactly what you are hoping to catch. Tip ups are considered a “set line” on Fort Peck and as such do not need to be kept a close eye on. Opportunity to spear Walleye, Northern, Lakers and large rough fish abound.

FORT PECK CONTACTS

Howes Fishing/Team Lakeridge Guides and Lodging 406-526-3597 facebook.com/lakeridgefortpeck/services

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks-Region 6-406-228-3700

A typical guided trip with us on Fort Peck starts with setting tip ups over shallow structure. Live bait consists of shiners for Walleyes and large suckers for Northerns. A group of four plus guide means we can spread 30 lines across an area, and often do to pinpoint the feeding grounds we will focus on the rest of the day. All tip ups must be marked with the angler’s YOU WILL BE INTRIGUED BY THE identification. Once some MYTH, TOUCHED BY THE MAGIC AND active feeding FOREVER ENAMORED WITH THIS begins, we will often switch AMAZING WESTERN RESERVOIR! out to rods on Arctic Warrior tip downs and Jaw Jackers so we can fight fish on rod and reel. By mid-day, once conditions allow, we are out over the deeper structure, jigging for Lake Trout and Walleye on the drop offs. Utilizing Vexilars is like playing video games with Lakers, watching them chase baits up to sixty feet at times! How long can you play keep away with a Lake Trout before they finally catch you slack lined and high sticked? I have kept one going for a solid twenty minutes before he finally lost interest! Every couple of hours or so, one or two in the group hop on a couple of machines and go and check the tip up sets. If you are lucky, your flag is flying! Twilight finds us back over the shallows again, and sometimes we even leave a few tip-ups out overnight (completely legal with the 24-hour check period). It’s always fun to see what lurks in the night, and many do it yourself anglers often choose to camp out on the ice, while the rest of us are warm and cozy in the cabins and rooms back at the Lakeridge! If a trip to Fort Peck is in your bucket, there are a couple things that are very important to know. There are less than six full time ice guides, most of them guiding under my outfitting license. While we can take up to four-five groups each day, with only eight cabins and a half dozen motel rooms, our lodging books up fast with outfitted clients, and then you are looking at rooms in Glasgow, about 15 miles away. The Lakeridge is a fully stocked bait, tackle and convenience store and the Gateway restaurant is across the street, for those who get tired of preparing their own meals in the cabin kitchens. We pride ourselves in offering everything from fully outfitted trips, to just some good, up to date info for the DIY angler. Many will come fully geared up, spend a day with a guide getting the lay of the land, and successfully spend the rest of their trip exploring Peck on their own. Others will just show up with their Ice Armor and boots, and leave all the work to the guides. No matter how you approach it, you will be intrigued by the myth, touched by the magic and forever enamored with this amazing Western reservoir!

• ATV and Portable shack (Clam Thermal flip over or X Series Hub Shelter)

• Ice auger-8-10” bit (Electric on a Clam Plate with Power Drive, otherwise go gas for the big bits)

• Vexilar FLX-Flasher and/or Digital sonar/GPS with mapping

• Walleye Rod-Dave Genz Split Handle-32” Med-Heavy,

• Lake Trout Rod-Genz Split Handle-36” Med-Heavy

• Jason Mitchell Mack Rod, 45” Heavy Spinning

• Clam Predator Reels-15-20# Frost braid by Clam and 12# Frost Mono for Walleye

• Six Heavy duty tip ups (Clam Thermal Pro or Lunker Deluxe with hole covers)

• Clam Super Leech Flutter Spoons, Tikka Minno (Size 6 and 8) ¾ oz to 1 oz White Tube Jigs

• Zero Rigs and Big Tooth rigs for tip up pike, lighter minnow rigs for tip up walleye

• Ball bearing swivels and quality split rigs

• Heavy gloves for handling toothy critters, pliers and a lip gripper

• Quality Headlamp, Ice cleats Sunglasses

IT’S ALL HERE ALL YEAR

DETROIT LAKES HOTEL DESTINATION CENTER

• Ice House Restaurant and Holiday Beach Bar & Grill, both with a lake view • Boat Slips & Rentals • Banquet & Meeting Facilities • Family Pool Area • 700 Feet of Sandy Beach on Big Detroit Lake • Entertainment & Event Specialists • Stay Vacation Packages Available