Bitterroot River:
March – April: Skwalas, March Browns, Blue Wing Olives
Skwala Stoneflies begin in early March and represent the best early season large dry opportunity in North America. The big bug is a size 10 and fished on short 3x leaders. As Montana warms up in April and March Browns and Early Season Blue Wing Olives start showing up.
• Weather: Highs in the 50 - 60s, lows in the 30s
May: Mother’s Day Caddis
About half of May the Bitterroot is experiencing run-off as the snow melts. As the flows subside you can take advantage of the Mother’s Day Caddis hatch. May can be hit and miss on good water conditions, but when flows are right fishing can be exceptional.
• Weather: Highs 60s - 70s, lows in the 40s
June: Salmonflies, Golden Stones, Green Drakes
Early June is Salmonflies in the Upper Bitterroot River. By Mid-June, the Golden Stones cover both the Mid River and upper Bitterroot River. Late June Brings in Green Drakes. By the end of the Month, trout are in their happy place – bug soup and lots of dry fly options.
• Weather: Highs 60s - 70s, lows in the 40s
July: Golden Stones, Pale Morning Duns, Caddis
Golden Stones are still happening across the drainage, but now the Pale Morning Duns and Caddis show up in the mornings and evenings. This change to mid-sized hatches produces more true rising fish pods and rewards the long-caster that likes to stalk big fish on a rhythm to dries.
• Weather: Highs 70s-80s, lows in the 50s
August: Tricos, Hoppers, Hecubas
Tricos are the smallest Mayfly but come off in massive numbers in the Middle and Lower Bitterroot River. Fly fishing to sipping sighted trout targets can be challenging, large, and rewarding. In the afternoon, after staring at little flies on gossamer tippet, they cut the leaders back to thick fluorocarbon and large Hoppers that are coming off the grass in the warmth of August. On the rainy days it is perfect for Fall Green Drakes – Hecuba. Those are the easiest days that although damp, this gets big fish sipping big Hecubas in the afternoon.
• Weather: Highs 70s - 80s, lows in the 50s
September – October: Mahoganies, Blue Wing Olives, Streamers
The Daytime Mayflies pile back in across the Bitterroot River drainage providing afternoon pods looking up on Mid-Sized dries. They are smart, willing, and motivated as the trout start to feel the creep of November’s cold water and a long Montana winter coming on. Brown trout get into a nasty pre-spawn mood that anglers with a large streamer can take advantage of and stick trout in the 4 - 7 pound range. September and October are days with awesome scenery, fishing, and consistent fall conditions.
• Weather: Highs 60s-70s, lows in the 40s
Clarks Fork River:
April – May: Skwalas, March Browns, Blue Wing Olives
The Lower Clarks Fork has the densest Spring hatch population in the area, but it does not turn on until early April. If the water sits right this will be some of the easiest guided dry fly fishing of the whole season.
• Weather: Highs in the 50 - 60s, lows in the 30s
May and June: Mother’s Day Caddis and Early Summer Caddis
The heart of this river’s hatch cycle is Caddis of all species. They see more tertiary caddis hatches on the Clarks Fork than any of their other waters. It is the last river to drop into shape and warm, so guides constantly schedule float trips on the Clark Fork River in early summer.
• Weather: Highs 60s - 70s, lows in the 40s
July: Golden Stones, Pale Morning Duns, Caddis
Giant Golden Stones are strongest in the Lower Clark Fork River but now you will get the right water conditions for Pale Morning Duns and Caddis in the mornings and evenings. This change to mid-sized hatches produces more true rising fish pods and rewards the longer caster that likes to stalk big fish on rhythm to dries.
• Weather: Highs 70s - 80s, lows in the 50s
August: Tricos, Hoppers, Streamers
Montana’s Clark Fork River is rich in windswept grass banks so Hopper fishing is incredibly reliable in both the Upper and Lower River. Since water mitigation was completed with Milltown Dam in 2008, the Trico hatch has charged back to cloud like proportions and will get even the shyest high sun brown trout to sip in the mornings. August in Montana also marks the beginning of the pre-spawn brown trout bite for the Upper River. It can be a tough choice on a Missoula guided fly fishing trip morning – Brown Trout on Streamers and Hoppers in the Upper River or Adult Rainbow trout sipping tricos in the lower river. But fly fishing guides and guests bare the strain well.
• Weather: Highs 70s - 80s, lows in the 50s
September – October: Mahoganies, Blue Wing Olives, Streamers
The Daytime Mayflies pile back in across the drainage providing afternoon pods up on Mid-Sized dries in the Lower River. They also enjoy the peak of the Streamer bite as the fever pitch of the Brown Trout spawn kicks in. The Clark Fork River could be the best float trip in Montana in Fall – Peak Autumn paintbrushes, active brown trout, elk bugling on the river bottoms, and rainbows on the rise.
• Weather: Highs 60s - 70s, lows in the 40s
Rock Creek:
June: Salmonflies, Golden Stones
Rock Creek in Montana has the best, most reliable, and copious Salmonfly hatch in the American West. The Salmonfly hatch is the mystical Montana fly fishing hatch that angler’s try to hit, but can be fickle everywhere it happens except here. On Rock Creek, they get it for two solid weeks in June. That gives the angler a wide hatch target to plan a trip. As good as the Salmonfly hatch is the Golden Stones can produce more trout and they overlap in June to provide a broad menu for the wild trout. A Guided Float trip on Rock Creek with a 6 foot leader of 12 lb. test and a huge dry fly is an experience that all fly anglers should experience.
July: Easy Fly Fishing Walks, Great Montana Scenery
On July 1st all boats commercial and recreational are required to stop floating. Rock Creek is then managed as a wade fishing only destination for the rest of the year. Rock Creek does enjoy great Caddis, Green Drake, and PMD hatches but really the fly angler with the small attractor patterns is king on the river. Rock Creek trout are accommodating and plentiful. Sneaking along the banks of a now midsized creek with a size 12 dry fly surrounded by the pristine canyons of Lolo National Forest is a relaxing break from a guided drift boat float trip that is common on the Blackfoot River, Clark Fork River, and Bitterroot River. Stretch your wading legs and enjoy the simplicity that is Rock Creek.
• Montana Weather – Highs in the 70s, Lows in the 40s
September – October: Streamers, Fall Colors, October Caddis
The same streamer bite that turns on in the Clark Fork River is getting the Brown Trout to aggressively take flies on Rock Creek. There is also a great push of October Caddis late that can turn the big dry bite on in the afternoons. Although not a hatch, the autumn turn of the Cottonwoods and Ponderosa on the banks of Rock Creek is a draw in and of itself. Rock Creek satisfies the breadth of many layered desires of the small stream angler.
• Montana Weather – Highs in the 60s, Lows in the 30s
Blackfoot River:
June: Salmonflies, Golden Stones, Green Drakes
Some of the Biggest trout that will come to the dry fly will happen in June on the Blackfoot River. The Salmonfly hatch starts sometime in June depending on flows and temperature. It is closely watched by the guide community, because they all know that hitting the hatch will give them one of the top days of the season. June fly fishing on the Blackfoot river is also blessed with great hatches of Golden Stones and Green Drakes. June has plentiful big bug options for the fly angler.
July – August: Attractors, Mayflies, Dawn Fly Fishing Patrol
For so many reasons guides love to start their guided Blackfoot River fly fishing trips earlier in the day during Mid-Summer. While the light is off the water the big fish on the Blackfoot are more confident in taking the streamer or dry fly. That angling success coupled with sunrises streaking through the pines and canyon walls make mornings on the Blackfoot special. The Blackfoot River’s strength is its dry fly action. You can count on each day fish coming to the fly regardless of angling skill level. They love to start beginning fly fishing anglers on a guided trip on the Blackfoot River. They know they are going to have plenty of opportunities to learn and catch Montana trout. The fly fishing there is mainly with attractor/dropper rigs prospecting style, but for the advanced fly fishing angler the streamer fishing can be a highlight. They also have a great push of PMDs and Caddis lasting all summer and on the right day the angler with the smallest fly catches the biggest fish.
• Montana Weather – Highs in the 70s, Lows in the 40s
September – October: Streamers, Blue Wing Olives, October Caddis
The Blackfoot River continues into the Fall as a prospector style fishery. As you head into October, Blue Wing Olives start to play an important role and can produce reliable pods of rising trout. The emergence of October Caddis starts to get fall fish locked into a plentiful food item and keeps the big dry fly bite going. The Blackfoot River has an outstanding forage base for the top end predator trout so the streamer angler is always in the game.
• Montana Weather – Highs in the 60s, Lows in the 30s
Missouri River:
May: Post Spawn Rainbows Feasting
7,000 fish per mile piling in off the spawn in May with no weeds in the river to cloud your bead head drifting freely is a recipe for huge numbers of hooked, broke off, and landed heavy trout. The freestone Rrivers of the Blackfoot, Clark Fork, Bitterroot, and Rock Creek will be coming in and out of shape as they experience stages of run-off so May is a busy time for the fly fishing guides on the Missouri. The Weeds are non-existent and the fishing is remarkably consistent. About half of the fishing on the Missouri in May is straight nymph fishing but there are sporadic hatches of Mother’s Day Caddis and Blue Wing olives. By late May the dry fly opportunities improve immensely.
• Montana Weather – Highs in the 60-70s Lows in the 40s
June: PMD and Snotty Pods
June on the Missouri usher’s in more dry flies with the PMD immergence which transitions this river to more dry fly opportunities. There are very few easy rising trout on this river and its notorious reputation for bringing up picky sippers is warranted. If you want to take Missouri river trout consistently on the rise your dry fly skills will be forced to improve. If the little fly game becomes more frustrating than fun a couple hours sticking fish under a strike indicator will get your confidence back up.
• Montana Weather – Highs in the 70s, Lows in the 40s
October – November: Blue Wing Olives
Little flies, ridiculously tough risers, and hoping for bad weather to blow the hatch up bank to bank. This is not for everyone but if you groove on razor’s edge risers in tough weather then this is heaven. It is that good. No glowing description here, just hardcore fishing with little dries. You know who you are. We would love to guide you on the Missouri.
• Montana Weather – Highs in the 50s, Lows in the 30s
