The Week Ahead. Missouri River. Craig Montana
The week ahead has a few events that may be of interest to our local anglers and boaters.
But first the river update. Cool at night warm during the day. Wind is present. BWO’s on the horizon. Midge in play. Yes, the.BWO nymph is a player as well. As other outlets have reported they are eating the BWO subsurface. No shit. The Baetis nymph lives subsurface for an entire year before we see them on the surface. They have been active and in the mix of bugs you need here for the spring session. A reminder that insects live subsurface, before they emerge. Fish don’t just eat the BWO right before they move towards our atmosphere.
Having said that March Browns on the lower end are active, subsurface. Mother’s Day Caddis in the water column, swimming around, invertrabate drifting, waiting for a friendly Rainbow to engage. Skwala’s have been sighted. Albeit a small number, per. usual as this bug is a side note in our catalog of fishy Missouri River insects. Fish the dry, the big fly on the lower reaches below the Dearborn for your best success.
Water Temps continue to rise and are currently 42.5F. Water Flows at near the probably most common 2026 rate of 3000 cfs.
Anlgers throughout the 35.5 miles of Mo River drift sections. Have seen some drifters at the dam doing the row around bit. Seems too early to devote half your day in that reach, but what makes angling great is that you can do it, however you please. A few have been to Cascade.
A reminder that the Dam is a Bureau of Land Management location and requires all users to pay for play. A $5 fee is required launching and parking your truck and trailer before the shuttle. Even if you use only the boat ramp, and shuttle your own vehicle, the fee of $5 is required.
Spring has sprung!
Shuttles available daily. Fly Shop open at 8am. Guides out daily. Need lodging? CraigLodging.com is your source for the widest selection in and out of Craig.
Craig, MT — Lewis and Clark County will host a public information meeting to share details about the upcoming temporary closure of the Missouri River Bridge and related community topics. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the Volunteer Fire Department Gymnasium, located at 375 Augusta Street in Craig.
The Missouri River Bridge will be temporarily closed from April 13 through April 27, 2026, to allow for maintenance and safety improvements. During the closure, all vehicle and pedestrian traffic will be detoured to alternate routes. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead, allow extra travel time, and follow posted detour signage.
In addition to bridge closure details, representatives from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will be in attendance to provide details on the Craig Fishing Access overflow parking project. County staff will provide an overview of Rural Improvement Districts and answer questions from the public.
Community members are encouraged to attend to learn more about project impacts and stay informed about the upcoming changes.
Lewis and Clark County and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks appreciate the community’s patience and cooperation as work on these projects is completed
For additional information prior to the meeting, please contact the Lewis and Clark County Road and Bridge Division at 406-447-8031.
Helena, MT — A reminder the 2026 bAnnual Meeting for the Upper Missouri River Water Advisory Group will be held this Thursday April 9th at 1pm at Montana Wild in Helena 2668 Broadwater Ave.
Scott Rods make an appearance hat Headhunters of Craig. We are currently fishing them, testing the correct and appropriate line match(es), and getting excited about this fly fishing soul product. More later from us here in Craig. But, if you gotta get one today stop bye the shop. We have demo models available! Check out the Scott Rod here.
Hungry after fishing? Here are the current local restaurant hours:
Izaak’s Restaur at open Wednesday thru Sunday 3-9pm
Craig Tap House Open except Wednsdays
Cascade has two bars open daily with food serving til about 9pm and later.
Lazy I in Wolf Creek open daily except Wednesday. Food hours 12-8
Prewitt Creek Missouri River Inn open daily midweek at 3, weekends at 12pm
Trout Shop Cafe variable hours. Weekends 5-8pm.
All is well here in Craig. More and more anglers around as spring has arrived. Services opening up. Fish looking up. Anglers smiling. Give us a call at 406-235-3447 for any info, a current fishing report, to book a guide or lodging, or to chat about trout fishing. We are always happy to talk about trout!
Rainbow Release