According to fishing guru Dick Zimmer, the whitefish are out and biting at a few hot spots around Flathead Lake.

“I’m cautiously optimistic about this year’s whitefish bite,” Zimmer wrote in a fishing report on Aug. 7. “For a solid two weeks, fishermen have been reporting nominal success.”

Three particular places have been successful, Zimmer said: in the Narrows at about 40 feet deep, Dead Man’s Point just north of Big Arm State Park at 50 to 60 feet deep and at Boundary Point on the west side of the lake.

Some of the Boundary Point catches have weighed in at more than six pounds.

“Most are using various shades of green Rattle D Zastors, and some are having success adding red reflector tape to them,” Zimmer added.

Zimmer attributes the success to a recovering perch population and predicts the coming years to be even more successful.

“It’ll probably still be three or four years before we begin to experience the optimum return of the great fishing we’ve had in the past,” Zimmer said.