The Missouri River is one of the most popular fly fishing rivers in Montana, and for a great reason. It doesn’t matter if your a beginner angler or an expert, nothing compares to a fly fishing trip on the Missouri River. The Missouri River is the second longest river in North America, and begins outside Three Forks at the confluence of the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin rivers in the Rocky Mountains. Fly Fishing the Missouri River is just a short drive from Helena, Bozeman or Great Falls. This river is consistent with great insect hatches, excellent dry fly fishing opportunities, large trout populations, and carp fishing.

The spring season for fly fishing starts on the Missouri River between March and April. The Mo is currently flowing at 4200 cfs, however, the cfs continues to decline making for great fly fishing conditions in the coming weeks. Additionally, the water temperature is gradually rising as warmer weather is on the horizon.

In March and April, the Missouri River between Hauser Lake and Canyon Ferry Lake is full of large spawning rainbow trout. This area is perfect to reel in some big trout during springtime. We run several fly fishing trips with our Montana licensed fishing guides here with anglers seeking the catch of a lifetime.

This is one of the most popular sections of the Missouri River. The water coming out of Holter dam is the perfect trout habitat with many abundant hatches, making it an ideal spot to fly fish in June when area rivers are still high from spring run-off. The Missouri is provides great trout habitat in the fall, when giant brown trout and rainbow trout come out of Canyon Ferry Lake. In the summer, the Townsend float fishing trip guarantees amazing fly fishing.

How to fish the Missouri River

The Missouri River boasts great stretches of river which are often found in the tailwater sections on the Mo. The Missouri is home to big brown trout, rainbows, and even carp! Spring through Summer sees great hatches of midges, mayflies, and caddis along the Mo which facilitate a multitude of successful fly fishing techniques. Trout respond best to dry flies in Spring - early Summer and nymphs mid-summer - September.

Where to fish the Missouri River in Montana

There are many great trout saturated sections of the Missouri River across Montana. The 30 mile Holter Dam section of the Mo, near Helena, is often considered to be the best fishing section of the entire river and is the focus of many Missouri River anglers. At its best, this stretch of river is home to 5,000 fish per mile of river.

However, given the popularity of this stretch of the river, the fish are put under a lot of fishing pressure and may be harder to hook. It is best to have a fishing guide with a drift boat that will enable you to cover more of the Missouri River in a shorter period of time setting your Montana fishing trip up for success. For the best results, we recommend hiring a licensed Montana fishing guide with GuideTime.

Between Three Forks and Canyon Ferry Reservoir, the trout fishing is spotty. Most fish in this fifty mile section of the river are the result of migrating upstream from Canyon Ferry Reservoir or migrating down from a tributary. Large brown trout are found this part of the Missouri. The problem is the numbers of fish per mile are low, especially when compared with trout populations further downstream. The Missouri River is often somewhat muddy in this stretch, limiting top water fishing. Because of the murky waters, anglers should use streamers and nymphs. Use large streamers on heavy tackle, pulling them along the river bottom, focusing on the deeper areas of the river.

This stretch of river, particularly between Canyon Ferry Reservoir and Totson Dam, does have one peak fishing time. During the fall, large numbers of spawning brown trout migrate from Canyon Ferry Reservoir. Fishing wet flies can work well when fished over the deeper waters. For anglers who have never fished this part of the Missouri River before, consider stopping at the local fly shop to inquire about conditions and what flies are working. Doing so likely will prevent many hours or days of frustrating fishing.

The Missouri River only runs for three miles between Hauser Dam and the upper end of Holter Lake. The river is wide and the current fast. As this stretch of river is so short, floating is not popular, offering the wade angler good fishing possibilities. Rainbow trout are the dominate species in this stretch, although large browns are often found right below Hauser Dam.

Two techniques are popular when fishing this stretch of river. The real large rainbows are located right below Hauser dam, eating the various bugs and other food that flow through the dam. To reach these larger fish requires using large streamers on sinking lines, heavily weighted. By getting large streamers down deep an angler has a good chance to land large rainbow trout.

As the river flows through the Missouri Breaks, the landscape is a beautiful mix of canyons, buttes, arid mountains and windswept prairie. While fishing isn’t especially popular along this stretch of the Missouri River, guided fly fishing floating this wild stretch of the river has become increasingly popular. The second technique is using dry flies in the summer months, during the caddis hatch.

This stretch of the Missouri River, which runs for thirty miles, receives most of the fishing pressure. Since pressure is heavy, the trout—a mix of rainbows and browns—are often picky about what they eat. Successful fishing requires delicate presentations of precise fly imitations. An average rainbow in this stretch will run between 14 to 18 inches, with the browns a tad larger.

Anglers seeking solitude will not enjoy his stretch of the Missouri River. A typical summer day finds rafts and drift boats stretching along the river for as far as the eye can see. Because of the many fishing access sites, wade angling is also popular. During the busiest periods on the river, expect some congestion between wade anglers and floaters.

Between Holter Dam and the confluence with the Dearborn River, the Missouri River offers quality fly fishing throughout the year since the dam regulates the river flows. Below the confluence with the Dearborn River, the Missouri River generally runs clear except for when the Dearborn is at high water. If the Dearborn section is running high, expect the Missouri River to turn very turbid below this point, severely limiting fly fishing opportunities.

The Missouri River is of moderate width between Holter Dam and Pelican Access. The river is also deep, preventing anglers from wading across it. While wade fishing is popular and effective on the river, the size and depth of the river does limit a wade angler’s ability to reach some of the better fishing spots. Beginning at Holter Dam, the Missouri River first flows through a small canyon, with large hills on the eastern bank of the river. At the Wolf Creek Access Site, the river emerges into a small, agricultural valley which is flanked by small mountains in the distance.

A few miles later, the river enters another canyon. This canyon stretch has small mountains bordering the river, sometimes coming right to the riverbanks. The mountains are generally arid and sparsely forested. The banks of the river, however, are a mix of trees, brush, grass and fields. This diversity in habitat on the river is one reason for the splendid fishing on this part of the Missouri River.

Between Holter Dam and Wolf Creek Access, the Missouri River flows slowly. Although just three miles long, the the slow river flows and the frequent high winds might make the trip a slow one. Below Wolf Creek Access, the Missouri River slowly begins to pick up pace, and once the Missouri River reaches the canyon stretch, its flows are moderately fast. During the winter months, for anglers willing to brave the often cold and windy elements, midges form the primary diet of the trout. Small dry flies as well as fishing sub-surface using small patterns are effective this time of year. Popular flies include Griffiths Gnat for adult midges and the Midge Pupa for the patterns.

Spring sees the beginning of the Blue Wing Olive hatches, which typically begins in late April and lasts through June. These hatches can occur anytime between early mornings and mid-afternoon. Popular imitations include a Parachute Adams or a Baetis Parachute for top water fishing and a Bead Head Hare's Ear when fishing sub-surface. Sizes of these flies should be small, ranging from 16-24, on light tippets.

Beginning in June and lasting well into August, the Missouri Rivers prime hatch occurs, the Pale Morning Dun (PMD). The PMD hatch can happen at any time, and once it kicks off it usually lasts throughout the day. Effective top water patterns include the Parachute PMD, the PMD Cripple, Sparkle Dun, in sizes 16-22. The Hare's Ear Nymph and the Pheasant Tail Nymph, in sizes 16-20, are popular nymph patterns.

The PMD hatch offers anglers an excellent opportunity to catch large trout on small dry flies. However, fly fishing the PMD hatch requires excellent presentation on light tackle. Drag free floats, a quiet approach and perfect casting are needed to catch the larger trout. As this is the primary hatch on the Missouri River, fishing pressure is heavy. This results in trout that are finicky eaters.

The Missouri River flows through prime hopper country. Beginning in late July and lasting for the rest of the summer, hopper fishing provides excellent fly fishing. Fish the hopper along the banks, occasionally giving them a good yank to imitate their struggle while on the water. Popular hopper patterns include Joe's Hopper, Dave's Hopper, and Henry's Fork Hopper, in sizes 6-8. Fall sees the return of the PMD hatches. The fall PMD hatch generally runs from early September through mid-October, or until the first cold weather arrives.

Below the Pelican FAS, which is near the town of Cascade, the Missouri River leaves the mountains behind and begins its journey through the Montana prairie. The flows slow down, especially as it nears Great Falls. The waters of the Missouri River also begin to warm, limiting rainbow trout fishing. Large brown trout care found throughout this stretch of the river, lurking in the deeper holes and along the many undercut banks. As this is primarily brown trout water, a popular fly fishing method is to use streamers on sink tip lines, casting them into the holes and along the many undercut banks.

The best time to fly fish for these brown trout is during the spring and again in the fall. During the summer, the high water temperatures can severely limit trout fishing. Other fish species found in this stretch include carp and smallmouth bass. Fishing for smallmouth bass should not be ignored, as they are loads of fun to catch. When fly fishing for the smallmouth, use crayfish on a sink tip line, dragging them along the bottom and around obstructions or near undercut banks.

Guided Fly Fishing Trips on the Missouri River

Hiring a fishing guide will not only allow you to likely catch bigger fish, but also to learn techniques and how to read the water. If you are looking to fish the Mo with a professional fly fishing guide, click the button below to browse and book one of the trips that GuideTime offers. In Montana, we offer guided fly fishing trips on the Missouri near Helena, Craig, Wolf Creek, Cascade, Great Falls, and Three Forks. GuideTime works with the most highly recommended fly fishing guides in the Missouri River area guaranteeing you get the best possible fly fishing experience.

The variety of fishing methods available on our area waters makes it a hotspot for Missouri sport fish. Whether floating short distances in search of pods of rising fish or covering longer distances with nymphs and streamers, there's something for everyone to enjoy when out angling. The key question isn't whether you'll catch any fish-you will! The challenge is figuring out the best way to do so.

There are many opportunities to fly fish during Missouri's dry season, which runs from February to October. Midges typically occur in February and March, BWOs in April and May, PMDs through June and July, Tricos in July and August, and caddis all year long. In the fall months of October through November, BWOs can be found again.

Fishing starts in June, when ant and beetle activity increases significantly. This trend continues through July, when hoppers become active. Throughout the summer season, fly fishing can be successful by covering the cover tightly to banks but also paying attention to midriver flats and riffles - fish are present everywhere!

If you're a nymphing enthusiast, then the Missouri River is definitely the place for you. The abundance of biomass in this river means that trout are always feeding below the surface, making nymph fishing an ideal choice during any season. By matching hatch patterns or imitating sowbugs and scuds which are so prevalent in these waters, fishing nymphs beneath an indicator has quickly become one of the most popular techniques among anglers.

While streamer fishing is not as commonly used as fly fishing, it possesses equal effectiveness. Trout spey is especially popular during the winter months, when it's best to use methods like this in early spring and late fall.

The Missouri River is a great place to spend the day fishing, whether hunting for big fish or scouting new spots on the river. Whether you're looking for an exciting adventure or simply want to relax and enjoy your time outdoors, the Missouri has something for everyone.

We are one of the most respected fly fishing guides in Montana. we pride ourselves on our dedication to providing excellent guided fishing trips on Missouri River. Our experienced anglers have spent years catching fish in some of America's best-known rivers, and you can expect this same level of quality when we're guiding your trip.

Our guides are experts at navigating the water near Holter Dam and Cascade, as well as all of the surrounding rivers. They will work with you to design a fishing trip that is perfect for your skill level and expectations. Whether you're a beginner fisherman or an experienced angler, our team can provide amazing experiences that will be remembered long after your catches have been counted.

The closest city to the Missouri River with an airport is the capital town of Helena. From there, it's a short drive down the scenic highway until you reach the fishing trip on the Mo. We always advise anglers who visit this amazing part of Montana to take in the area with a rental car. If you have to fly into Billings the drive into Helena is simple, as is the town where we recommend you stay while you’re here.

Finding lodging during your Missouri River fishing trip isn't a concern. The city of Helena, is located 40 miles south of Holter Dam and just off I-15, has plenty of lodging options to choose from. Above all, make the most of your Montana fly fishing trip. Although few anglers are fortunate enough to experience this type of fishing in various areas of the country, it's an unforgettable experience nonetheless.