More than just the Missouri

We do have a couple of other streams around here besides the Missouri River. The Missouri is just so good, it’s hard to justify any other option in the morning. There are time, however, when area freestones and lakes offer a change in scenery, different techniques and occasionally, better fishing.

The Blackfoot River just west of Craig runs along highway 200 towards Missoula and offers great scenery and good dry fly fishing for Cutthroat, Rainbow and Brown Trout. There are, of course, Whitefish as well as the occasional Bull Trout to keep things interesting.

The upper reaches offer tremendous wade fishing opportunities, and from Ovando downstream you’ll find several great floating sections. Salmonlies hatch here during early summer, and the streamer fishing on the Blackfoot can be great.

Closer to Craig, the Dearborn River has a short float season from mid-May through June, and offers incredible scenery in almost wilderness settings. The fishing can be a bit hit or miss, but when it’s good it”s great. The scenery can make up for even a tough day, and 1 or 2 of the giant Browns that live here can turn a bad day into a trip of a lifetime.