When to come

Montana fly fishing seasons.

Every month has something fishing well near Missoula. Here’s where Jason fishes, and what’s hatching, month by month.

The Missoula year

Season by season

Mar–AprSkwala season

The Bitterroot and Clark Fork come alive with the first big dry fly window of the year.

Hatches: Skwalas, March browns, BWOs

May–JunMissouri, then big bugs

The Missouri carries May while freestones run off, then salmonflies and golden stones arrive.

Hatches: BWOs, caddis, salmonflies

Jul–AugSummer dries

Big bugs, caddis and PMDs, then hoppers. Half days only from July 20 to August 15.

Hatches: PMDs, caddis, terrestrials

Sep–NovFall on quiet rivers

Cold water, mahogany duns, October caddis and big browns staging in deeper runs.

Hatches: Mahogany duns, BWOs, October caddis

Month by month

Month	River(s)	Key hatch or technique	Conditions
March	Bitterroot, Clark Fork	Skwala stonefly, March browns, BWOs; dry fly action 1–4 pm	Cold, clear, excellent
April	Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Clark Fork, Missouri	Skwalas, BWOs, March browns, gray drakes	Fluctuating flows, excellent
May	Missouri (pre-runoff)	BWOs, caddis, PMD emergence	Freestones in runoff; tailwater time
June	Blackfoot, Clark Fork, Bitterroot	Salmonflies, golden stones, green drakes, PMDs, caddis	High, clearing fast, excellent
July	Blackfoot, Bitterroot, Clark Fork	Lingering big bugs, caddis, PMDs, nocturnal stones	Half days only from July 20
August	Clark Fork, Bitterroot, Blackfoot	Hoppers, ants, beetles, PMDs, tricos	Low, warm; half days only to Aug 15
September	Clark Fork, Bitterroot	Terrestrials, tricos, October caddis showing	Cooling, very good to excellent
October	Clark Fork, Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Missouri	Mahogany duns, BWOs, terrestrials, streamers	Prime fall: cold water, quiet rivers
Early November	Clark Fork, Bitterroot, Missouri	Mahogany duns, BWOs, streamers	Cold, uncrowded

From July 20 to August 15, Jason books half days only to give the trout a break in the heat of the day.

The rivers

Freestone

Home of the famous Skwala hatch and the first river to come alive each spring. Braided channels and big browns tight to wood.

Freestone

Made famous by A River Runs Through It. Fast, powerful and beautiful, with native westslope cutthroat. Our best early summer dry fly water.

Freestone

Missoula’s river, running right through town. Large rainbows and browns, quieter water and an outstanding fall.

Tailwater

Over Rogers Pass below Holter Dam. Thousands of trout per mile and technical dry fly fishing, at its best in spring and fall.

Reports

See the latest river-by-river reports.

Pick a full or half day float, choose your date and hold it online. Rods, reels, flies and lunch are on us.