Large spoons and lures such as a red and white or pearl-coated Daredevle are very popular. Fast retrieves and fairly fast trolling seem to attract the most fish. Lake trout populations show a slight upward trend, so they will continue to be a popular sport fish in the coming years. These fish average about 8 pounds, but there are some lunkers over 20 pounds in Fort Peck Reservoir. Lake trout and some other species have increased in average size in recent years due to the introduction of cisco and shiners as a food source.
Northern pike are also popular sport fish in Fort Peck Reservoir.
Some summer anglers report success from trolling at greater depths, down to 20 feet. Large spoons and flatfish are the most popular lures for trolling, and some anglers use minnows both for trolling and still fishing. The bays of some of the tributary streams around the reservoir provide excellent northern pike holes, good for either concentrated trolling or still-fishing. Bear Creek Bay, southeast of the dam, is the first large bay and should provide plenty of fishing challenge. Duck Creek Bay, northwest of the dam, is slightly smaller in size but has numerous shoreline fingers for anglers to work.