INTRO | We’re often asked, “What’s the best trout stream in Montana?”. It’s an absurd question. There is no “best” trout stream in Montana. What defines a favorite river will be different for every angler. And while each may have his or her “favorite”, we think few would argue that the Missouri River is the “most consistent” fishery in Montana. It has consistent fish size and numbers, consistent hatches and predictable flows. It has the most reliable dry fly fishing in the region, and there’s not a day of the year when a nymph rig won’t catch a few fish. It’s a river that consistently produces large trout; arguably the largest “average size” trout in Montana. Dry fly, nymph and streamer fishing are almost always in play, and there is a reason the Missouri is the “Trout Spey” center of the West. The Missouri River is a world class fishery, and most experienced anglers consider it a “must-do” at least once in your life.

WHERE | The longest river system in the US, the Missouri, is formed at the junction of the Madison, Gallatin and Jefferson rivers near Three Forks, Montana. From here, the river flows north for nearly 100 miles - and through 4 reservoirs - before emerging from the tailwaters of Holter Dam. The Missouri River courses for over 700 miles through Montana and on to the Gulf of Mexico, but the primary fly fishing venue is the 35 miles from Holter Dam to the town of Cascade. This section lies between the cities of Helena and Great Falls, and runs alongside Interstate 15. Trout can still be found below Cascade, but numbers quickly decrease, as does access.

PHYSICAL | Long, broad and slow moving runs are interrupted by mellow riffles and numerous islands as the river slides gently from Holter Dam to Craig. The river here is big - 100 yards across - and is characterized by grassy banks with a bottom of fine gravel that bright green weed beds anchor in. It lacks definition here, and is hard to read for newcomers. Below Craig, the river enters “the Canyon”, where huge limestone cliffs and rock formations provide incredible scenery for anglers and deep, shady lies for trout. The Dearborn River also joins the Missouri in this reach, adding volume to the river, along with an increased diversity in insect life. The river is more defined through here, with sharper banks, defined drop-offs and the occasional mid-river boulder. The Canyon ends under the dramatic “Tower Rock” at Lone Pine rapids, a significant campsite of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. From here, the river broadens and slows as it spills out onto the Great Plains of eastern Montana. This lower section offers great big sky views, abundant wildlife, and exceptional dry fly water as it meanders to the small town of Cascade. The many channels and islands are extremely wadeable, and the trout often hold in shallow and slow moving water.

THE FISH | The Missouri River is primarily a Rainbow and Brown Trout fishery, with the former outnumbering the latter about 3:1. Both species inhabit all stretches of the river in pretty much equal numbers, though average sizes for both seem slightly larger on the upper stretch. Montana does not plant trout in rivers (they do in some lakes) so all of our trout are wild, and they act like it. Rainbow trout average 14-20”, and seldom exceed 22”. Brown trout are slightly larger averaging 16-22”, and it’s not surprising to land a “2-footer”, sometimes larger. While we don’t like to use the traditional “fish-per-mile” numbers that Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks likes to publish, let’s just say that there are plenty of trout in the Missouri River. Native Whitefish also inhabit the Missouri, though they are not as numerous - and much larger - than found in most other Montana rivers. Trout are by far the primary quarry, but fly and spin anglers also hunt for Walleye, Burbot, Carp, and more recently, Northern Pike.

WHEN | The Missouri River is fishable all year long, but the primary fly fishing season is from April through November. During this period, the river sees some of the strongest Mayfly and Caddis hatches in the western U.S. These hatches begin in late March and come to a crescendo in late-June and early-July . As the summer progresses, hatches slowly subside, but are replaced with ample tererrestrital insects including hoppers and ants. Angler numbers can be tied to hatch strength, and July is not only the buggiest month, but the busiest. While mid-summer traditionally offers the best dry fly fishing, hatches occur from mid-April to mid-November on an almost daily basis. And when the hatches aren’t epic, the subsurface nymph and streamer fishing often is. So there’s really no “best” time to fish the Missouri, but there can be best times for certain disciplines.

TACTICS | You’ll often hear that the Missouri River is a”technical” fishery, and it can be. It can also be so easy it’s embarrassing, and it can be so tough you’d bet your new drift boat that there are no fish in it. All methods do catch fish here, and fishing is done both from drift boats and on foot. Many consider it a “tailwater” fishery, but it doesn’t quite share the same characteristics with true tailwaters and has a bit of moody freestone DNA. Nymphing is the most popular method, as it seems to have become nearly everywhere. A simple right-angle nymph rig is common, and knowing the right depth is key. Understanding what the fish are feeding on - and why - is critical to success. Dry fly fishing is technical, requiring long leaders, accurate casts, and correct imitations. Downstream dry fly fishing is the norm. Streamer fishing runs the gamut, but locals tend to use smaller streamers that imitate baitfish, crawdads, and other real food sources. The “4th Method”, spey fishing uses both Skagit and Scandi techniques and equipment, while swinging everything form #16 soft hackles to # 2 articulated streamers.