Be sure to be legal before going fishing! Get your new license here.
A little bit of winter and a little bit of spring on the Missouri River between Helena and Great Falls these days. Some sporadic reports of midges hatching so dry fly anglers--if you can find a spot out of the wind that is so common in March--can possibly target some rising trout. The best way to get into good numbers on the Missouri River right now will be to fish tandem nymph rigs using midge, beadhead PTs, or your favorite scud or sowbug patterns. A firebead or hot bead SJ worm will also be successful. Swingers and streamer anglers can also find some success on the Missouri right now, but don't expect gangbusters. Find a long, slow deep run and swing or strip it nice and slow.
The flow on the Missouri River is regulated and consistent coming from Holter Dam, so anglers wanting to get out and find some fish in winter are best suited to head to the Missouri River. Compared to the busy summer season, winter on the Missouri River sees less anglers, but it also see a lot less feeding duration of the river's abundant trout population. During winter on the Missouri River, hatches are minimal and will mostly only consist of midges.
With streamflows hovering around 3,200 CFS do it yourself wading anglers will find plenty of accessible water and options for good fishing.
Read some of our recent blog posts featuring: 5 Tips for Winter Fly Fishing, Winter Fly Fishing Tips that Go Beyond Just Dressing Warm, 5 Tips to Improve Your Fly Fishing with Streamers or Winter Fly Fishing Options Near Bozeman. Our tailwater fisheries of the Upper Madison and Missouri Rivers are good bets right now while a freestone river like the Yellowstone River may soon have shelf ice and where you can fish safely will be limited to certain sections.
Favorite Flies for Fly Fishing the Missouri River Right Now:
Para Adams in sizes 18-22
Firebead SJ wormies in sizes 10-18
Buzzballs in size 20-22
Little Green Machines in natural or olive in size 18-22
Zebra Midge in black, olive, or purple in sizes 18-22
Tungteasers in black, grey, or red in size 18-22
Firebead or hot bead SJ worms in size 10-14
Jujubee midges in black and purple in size 18-22
Scuds and sowbugs in various colors in size 16 to 22
Sculpzillas in black, olive, or purple in sizes 2 to 6
Home Invader in any contrasting color scheme in size 2 or 4
The Month Ahead:
The fish are going to stay in the slower and deeper runs as the most available food is located there. The Mo should produce all winter. Later winter will see some decent midge hatches and a chance for dry fly fishing. Wind can be an issue in the winter but the trout should still be feeding in the afternoon hours on a daily basis.
Long Term Fishing Forecast:
The Missouri below the dam at Wolf Creek is a good winter fishery. Nymphing the slower seams will be the staple until the stronger midge hatches arrive in the later winter and early spring.